The United States is set to significantly expand its military presence in Greenland under a new security agreement with Denmark and Greenland, marking a major shift in Arctic defense after months of tension over President Donald Trump’s push to acquire the island.
Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen are scheduled to sign the agreement Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The Danish government confirmed the signing is expected to take place at the U.N. building.
The agreement would give the U.S. access to two additional military sites in Greenland while expanding Washington’s long-term security role on the strategically important Arctic island.
U.S. military footprint to grow
The full agreement has not yet been publicly released, but Reuters reported that the United States plans to re-establish a military presence at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and establish another site at Mestersvig on Greenland’s east coast.
Narsarsuaq was home to a U.S. military installation during the Cold War. Mestersvig is an existing Danish military outpost used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a specialized Danish military unit operating in Greenland’s remote Arctic regions.
The additions would expand the American presence beyond Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, where U.S. forces are already stationed.
A senior U.S. official told Fox News that the agreement provides the United States with permanent access, basing and overflight rights in Greenland and allows Washington to establish additional military installations if needed.
Denmark, however, has emphasized that the agreement does not transfer sovereignty over Greenland to the United States. The Danish government said the deal recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark as well as Greenlanders’ right to self-determination. The agreement will also have to go through required national parliamentary procedures before taking effect.
Trump has said the agreement will prevent American adversaries from gaining a foothold on the island.
“The United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the security of Greenland, and the United States of America,” Trump said while announcing the agreement.
He also said no U.S. adversary would be permitted to establish a base or military presence in Greenland or make sensitive investments there “without our express written approval.”
Deal follows Trump's push to acquire Greenland
The security agreement comes after months of friction between Washington and Copenhagen over Trump’s effort to acquire Greenland outright.
Trump repeatedly argued that the United States needed Greenland for national security and questioned whether European countries could adequately protect the island. His efforts created tensions with Denmark and other NATO allies, particularly as he raised the possibility of using economic pressure to force negotiations.
Denmark responded in part by increasing its military activity in and around Greenland while Danish and Greenlandic officials continued negotiations with the Trump administration.
The resulting agreement stops well short of transferring Greenland to the United States. Instead, it gives Washington a substantially larger military role while leaving the island within the Kingdom of Denmark.
For Greenland, the agreement also comes with an explicit acknowledgment of its political status and right to determine its own future.
Nielsen said the agreement would strengthen the security of Greenland, Denmark, the United States and their allies while recognizing Greenland’s interests and role in international cooperation. Frederiksen said the deal strengthens security in the Arctic and North Atlantic while recognizing Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.
