Denmark and the USA announce agreement in Greenland

Military presence in the Arctic: Denmark and the USA announce agreement in the Greenland dispute The USA, Denmark, and Greenland have reached a breakthrough in the dispute over the Arctic islands. The governments of Denmark and Greenland announced that an agreement with the USA is expected to be signed in the coming week. US President Donald Trump had previously written about an already sealed deal with Greenland on the Truth Social platform. The agreement transfers "permanent control" over the security of the island to Washington, Trump stated. Furthermore, it will be forbidden for the USA's "enemies" to establish a military presence on the Arctic islands. Pituffik Space Base in Greenland: From here, the USA monitor space activities and rocket launches Photo: Getty Images"There are no costs to the United States," Trump explained. The agreement ensures that the United States "has the unrestricted authority to do anything necessary in Greenland to ensure and defend the security of Greenland and the United States of America forever." "Prospects for a good agreement" The Danish government wrote on X that they expect to sign a deal at the UN General Assembly in the coming week, which would then have to go through parliamentary procedures to come into effect. "I am pleased that there are prospects for a good agreement for Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the USA," the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was quoted as saying in a press release. Expected agreement on strengthening security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic pic.twitter.com/qYN1jcRS8m — Prime Minister's Office (@Statsmin) September 18, 2026 I agree that I am shown external content. This allows personal data to be transmitted to third-party platforms. More on our privacy policy. The agreement recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Danish Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination. It also strengthens "our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic and is therefore good for NATO and Europe." Furthermore, the deal recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Danish Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination. "The agreement recognizes Greenland's interests and our place in international cooperation," said Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen in the statement. "It benefits us all." Map showed Greenland as part of the USA Last winter, Trump repeatedly demanded the annexation of Greenland belonging to Denmark and did not exclude the use of force. After a compromise mediated by Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the US President initially withdrew from his demand. Recently, Trump posted a map showing several countries as part of the USA – including Canada, Greenland, Mexico, and Iceland. The USA already maintain a military base in Greenland. The Pituffik Space Base serves, among other things, to monitor space activities and rocket launches and is part of a defense agreement between Washington and Copenhagen. Greenland is strategically located in the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean between North America and Europe. The island is also on the direct path of a possible missile flight path between Russia and the USA. Trump recently referred to the alleged presence of Russian and Chinese ships near the island.