US-Greenland Deal Explained: 5 Things the US, Denmark and Greenland Agreed On

The United States, Denmark and Greenland have reached an understanding on a security agreement that would expand Washington’s military role in Greenland, while preserving Danish sovereignty over the Arctic territory.

President Donald Trump announced the agreement in a Truth Social post on Friday, Sept. 18, saying it would give the United States “permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland.”

Denmark and Greenland said the three governments are expected to sign the agreement during next week’s United Nations General Assembly session in New York. The pact would then require the necessary parliamentary procedures before taking effect.

The announcement follows more than a year of tension over Trump’s repeated calls for greater U.S. control of Greenland. Denmark and Greenland have maintained that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and that its future must be determined in accordance with Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.

The five key elements of the proposed agreement:

The US Would Gain Expanded Security Access

The agreement would provide the United States with permanent access, basing and overflight rights in Greenland, according to a U.S. State Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss specific terms. The arrangement would reportedly remain in place even if Greenland becomes independent.

Trump said his administration would “immediately” begin developing a larger U.S. military presence in Greenland. He described the outcome as “a dream come true for the United States of America.”

The precise locations and scope of any additional U.S. military facilities have not been publicly detailed.

US Adversaries Would Be Barred From Military Bases

A U.S. State Department official said the agreement would prohibit non-NATO countries from establishing a base in Greenland and would require U.S. approval for certain “sensitive investments” by foreign powers, according to reporting on the agreement.

Trump wrote on Truth Social, “From now on, no U.S. adversary can EVER have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written approval.”

The provisions are aimed at limiting the military and strategic presence of countries such as Russia and China in Greenland. The full text of the proposed agreement has not yet been publicly released.

Greenland and Denmark Would Retain Sovereignty

The proposed security arrangement doesn’t transfer ownership or formal governance of Greenland to the United States.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the agreement “recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.”

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said, “The agreement would strengthen the security of Greenland, Denmark, the United States and the Western alliance, adding that it recognizes Greenland’s interests and its place in international cooperation.”

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Its government has responsibility for many domestic matters, while Denmark retains authority over areas including foreign policy and defense.

The Agreement Would Have No Stated Expiry Date

Trump has described the proposed arrangement as permanent and said it would give the United States continuing authority to address security concerns in Greenland.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also described the agreement as a long-term resolution of Washington’s security concerns. “Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defence area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area,” Rubio wrote.

The open-ended nature of the agreement is significant because the pact would need to remain relevant even as Greenland’s constitutional relationship with Denmark evolves.

Denmark’s government said the pact is expected to be signed next week and will then go through the necessary parliamentary procedures before entering into force.

The Deal Would Apply Even If Greenland Becomes Independent

A U.S. State Department official said the agreement’s security provisions would continue to apply even if Greenland becomes independent, according to reporting on the negotiations.

The provision would give the United States continuing security rights in Greenland regardless of changes to the territory’s constitutional status.

Greenland has an established right to pursue independence under its self-government framework, although independence would require a political process involving Greenland and Denmark. The proposed U.S. security arrangement would therefore extend beyond Greenland’s current status as an autonomous territory of Denmark.

Areas Left Out Of The Deal

The proposed agreement’s publicly disclosed details focus primarily on security and defense.

Rare earth minerals, which Trump has previously discussed in connection with Greenland, weren’t referenced in the Danish and Greenlandic governments’ announcement of the expected agreement.

Mikkel Olesen, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, said the agreement could help resolve the dispute while also limiting the role of Russia and China in Greenland.

“It also has to do with excluding Russia and China from Greenland, excluding them, barring them from having military bases,” Olesen added, “There are a lot of things we don’t know. But overall, I think the positive thing to zoom in on here is that it has the potential to end the crisis, and also, I see that, without the loss of sovereignty for Denmark and Greenland.”

Richard Weitz, a senior fellow at the NATO Defense College, said Trump “settled for less” with the pact.

“He wanted to annex Canada and the Panama Canal, and raised the idea of annexing Venezuela and Greenland as well. But in each case, there was local opposition, so he’s backed down and settled for less, and in this case, he got pretty much everything he wanted, except formal annexation,” Weitz told Al Jazeera.

The United States already has military facilities in Greenland, including Pituffik Space Base in the territory’s northwest, under existing arrangements between Washington and Copenhagen. The new agreement would expand the U.S. security role while keeping Greenland within the Kingdom of Denmark under the terms publicly outlined so far.

The next step is the expected signing of the agreement during the U.N. General Assembly session, followed by the required parliamentary procedures in Denmark and Greenland.