Trump, Denmark and Greenland Seal Historic Arctic Security Agreement

US President Donald Trump has signed a trilateral security agreement with Denmark and Greenland aimed at expanding the United States’ military presence in the Arctic island.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, following months of tensions between Washington and Copenhagen over Greenland.

Trump described the agreement as “tremendous” for the United States, Europe and Greenland, saying it would strengthen security in the Arctic region.

Under the deal, the US will modernise and expand its activities at the Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland. Washington will also establish military bases at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and Mestersvig in the east, with the possibility of creating additional defence areas.

The agreement allows US aircraft to fly over and land across Greenland, including its territorial waters, and grants Washington undersea access.

It also prevents countries outside NATO from establishing military installations or maintaining a permanent military presence in Greenland without unanimous approval from Denmark, Greenland and the United States. Investors from outside NATO and the European Union will also face restrictions in sensitive sectors.

The agreement has no stated end date. If Greenland becomes independent from Denmark, it will remain within NATO and assume Denmark’s obligations under the agreement.

Trump had previously threatened to seize Greenland, leading to months of tensions with Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had warned that a US takeover could threaten the NATO alliance.

Frederiksen described the new agreement as a deal that could “last forever”, while Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called it a “win-win-win”.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Council President Antonio Costa welcomed the agreement, with Costa describing it as a positive step for transatlantic cooperation and Arctic security while stressing respect for Greenland’s sovereignty and the right of its people to self-determination.

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