The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced this Friday on his social network that the United States has reached an agreement with the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland that “grants” Washington “permanent control over security and other needs in Greenland. Also, that it addresses ”completely all” the “numerous concerns” of the White House. Beyond the triumphant language, many details were missing in that first post on Truth, in which it was not clear what changes regarding the existing agreement on the Arctic island since 1951 between Washington and Copenhagen. It was also not possible to clear doubts with the official statements that followed.
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Shortly after Trump’s message, who returned to the White House with the intention of buying the world’s largest island, the Danish Prime Minister’s office published a statement on X, also signed by Greenland, endorsing the pact. “Greenland, Denmark, and the United States plan to sign next week an agreement that will strengthen security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area,” the text says, explaining that the signing will take place within the framework of the United Nations General Assembly, held in New York next week. “Once signed, it must undergo the necessary parliamentary procedures for its entry into force,” the statement warns.
Forventet aftale om styrket sikkerhed i Arktis og det nordatlantiske område pic.twitter.com/qYN1jcRS8m
— Statsministeriet (@Statsmin) September 18, 2026
The agreement comes after months of negotiations between the United States and Denmark about a possible military expansion of the world’s leading power on the island, an autonomous territory belonging to Denmark. It is expected that the pact will serve to put an end to the threats from the U.S. president to forcibly annex the territory of a NATO member.
The Pentagon, as was known in May, intends to open three new bases, a claim that fits the aforementioned defense agreement in force between Washington and Copenhagen. Trump wanted those facilities to be designated as sovereign U.S. territory, a demand opposed by his counterparts.
“This will NOT COST the United States ANYTHING! (…) [W]e have worked with representatives from Denmark and Greenland to ensure that the United States will FOREVER have the full capacity to do what is necessary in Greenland to secure and defend the security of both Greenland and the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth.
“Infinite” life
The U.S. leader also stated that “no adversary will ever be able to have a base or military presence in Greenland, nor make sensitive investments there, without our express written approval.” And he defined the “life” of the agreement as “infinite.” “We will collaborate with the people of Greenland in their development and construction. This solution is excellent for the United States of America, Denmark, Greenland, and all our allies,” concludes the president’s post on Truth.
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Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Prime Minister of Greenland, celebrated, for his part, that the agreement “recognizes the interests” of the island and its “role in international cooperation.” “It will benefit us all,” he concluded.
Using less definitive language than Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated: “I am pleased that there is the prospect of a good agreement for Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the United States. An agreement that strengthens our shared security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic region and that, therefore, also benefits NATO and Europe. An agreement that, at the same time, recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom, as well as the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.”
There is already a bilateral defense agreement signed in 1951 and renewed in 2004 that grants the United States privileges to expand its military presence in Greenland. This does not prevent the construction of new bases or the deployment of hundreds or thousands of U.S. soldiers, so it will be necessary to wait to see the content of the new agreement to correctly interpret its novelty and scope.
Greenland is the largest island in the world that does not form a continent: a vast land and ice area between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans with a small population (56,000 inhabitants), but rich in natural resources and geostrategic value. It is coveted for its location: Arctic thawing promises to open new navigation routes, as well as commercial and naval competition with Moscow from which Beijing does not intend to stay out. It also has coveted rare earth mineral reserves, necessary for designing the most advanced technology.
Trump already said in 2019, during his first term in the White House, that he was considering the possibility of buying Greenland. He even canceled a state visit to Denmark when the Scandinavian country’s rulers, a founding NATO partner and member of the European Union, responded that the island is not for sale.