President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States has reached a security agreement with Denmark and Greenland that he says will give the U.S. permanent control over security matters on the strategically important Arctic island.
Trump said the agreement would give the United States permanent security control in Greenland and allow Washington to begin developing a larger military presence. He also said U.S. adversaries could not establish bases, maintain a military presence or make sensitive investments without written U.S. approval.
The announcement does not transfer Greenland’s sovereignty to the United States. Denmark and Greenland said they expect to formally sign the agreement next week, after which it would require parliamentary approval before taking effect.
Trump Announces Expanded Military Access
Trump said the agreement gives the United States permanent access to Greenland for security and other strategic needs.
“We will immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the United States would work with Greenland’s people on development and construction.
A senior U.S. official told Fox News Digital that the agreement would give the United States permanent access, basing and overflight rights and allow it to establish additional military installations. The official said the United States would consult Denmark and Greenland but would not need their approval for new U.S. installations.
The United States already operates Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland under a defense agreement with Denmark dating to 1951.
Deal Would Restrict Adversary Activity
Trump said the agreement would prevent U.S. adversaries from establishing military bases or maintaining troops in Greenland without Washington’s written approval.
The reported agreement also addresses investments in sensitive areas, including infrastructure and critical resources. Administration officials said the restrictions would prevent China, Russia and other countries outside the NATO alliance from gaining strategic footholds in Greenland.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News Digital that the agreement “permanently guarantees U.S. security interests in the Arctic at zero cost to the U.S. taxpayer.”
The administration has argued that Greenland’s location makes it strategically important to North American and Arctic security as Russia and China expand their activities in the region.
Greenland And Denmark Retain Sovereignty
The agreement falls short of Trump’s earlier calls for the United States to acquire Greenland.
Denmark retains sovereignty over Greenland, which is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenland’s government has also emphasized its right to self-determination.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the agreement would strengthen security for Greenland, Denmark, the United States, and the broader Western alliance.
Agreement Still Requires Approval
Trump characterized the arrangement as an agreement with no expiration date, calling it an “Infinite Life” agreement.
Denmark and Greenland’s governments, however, said the agreement is expected to be signed next week during the United Nations General Assembly. They said the agreement would then have to go through the necessary parliamentary procedures before taking effect.
The precise terms of the final agreement have not yet been publicly released.
The Dallas Express previously reported on Trump’s push for immediate negotiations to acquire Greenland, which he has repeatedly described as important to U.S. national security.
The announcement follows months of negotiations over U.S. security interests in Greenland. Earlier this year, Danish and Greenlandic officials repeatedly said they were willing to discuss increased Arctic security cooperation while maintaining Danish sovereignty and Greenlandic self-determination.
