Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Trump, Denmark and Greenland Sign Arctic Security Agreement
The United States, Denmark and Greenland signed a new security agreement.
It was signed in New York during the United Nations General Assembly.
The agreement lets the United States increase its military activities in Greenland.
Greenland will still remain under Danish control under the deal.
Trump had repeatedly said he wanted Greenland to become part of the United States.
The agreement does not make Greenland a U.S. territory.
It is meant to stop countries outside NATO from building military facilities in Greenland without approval.
Leaders said the agreement improves security, but some Greenlanders remain worried because of the earlier threats and political tension.
The agreement would continue to apply if Greenland later became independent, according to one report.
The United States, Denmark and Greenland signed an Arctic and North Atlantic security agreement in New York on September 22, 2026.
The accord allows the United States to expand military operations and establish defense areas in Greenland while the territory remains under Danish control.
Trump said the United States would have permanent control over Greenland’s security and prevent adversaries from establishing military positions or making sensitive investments there.
The agreement does not make Greenland a U.S. territory, although Trump did not say whether pursuing U.S. acquisition was off the table.
The parties described the deal as strengthening NATO security, while Greenlandic officials said months of tensions had damaged trust and caused public concern.
- Who
- U.S. President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen signed the agreement.
- What
- A trilateral Arctic and North Atlantic security agreement permitting a greater U.S. military presence and additional defense arrangements in Greenland.
- When
- September 22, 2026.
- Where
- New York, during the United Nations General Assembly.
- Why
- To strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, address concerns about Russia and China, and ease tensions caused by Trump’s calls to acquire Greenland.
Expanded U.S. Security Role
Sovereignty and Self-Determination
Purpose of the agreement
Expanded U.S. Security Role
Trump presented the deal as giving the United States lasting control over Greenland’s security and preventing adversaries from establishing military positions or making sensitive investments there.
Sovereignty and Self-Determination
Denmark and Greenland presented the agreement as a NATO-supporting security arrangement that preserves Greenland’s current political status and respects its right to self-determination.
Greenland’s political future
Expanded U.S. Security Role
Trump has repeatedly said he wanted the United States to acquire Greenland and previously argued that it was necessary to prevent Russia or China from doing so.
Sovereignty and Self-Determination
The agreement does not transfer Greenland to the United States, and Greenlandic leaders have favored increased security cooperation rather than a complete U.S. takeover.
Impact of the standoff
Expanded U.S. Security Role
Supporters described the accord as a practical way to strengthen Arctic security and protect the region from adversaries.
Sovereignty and Self-Determination
Greenlandic officials and analysts said the earlier threats damaged trust, unsettled residents and could continue to affect transatlantic relations even after the agreement.
- Signatories
- The United States, Denmark and Greenland.
- Military expansion
- The United States may modernize and expand activities at Pituffik and establish defense areas at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, according to the detailed account.
- Greenland’s status
- The agreement keeps Greenland under Danish control and stops short of making it a U.S. territory.
- Trump’s position
- Trump said the United States would have permanent control over Greenland’s security and other needs, and did not answer whether acquisition was off the table.
- Military restrictions
- Non-NATO countries would not be allowed to establish their own manned or unmanned military installations or a persistent military presence in Greenland without the signatories’ agreement.
- Existing U.S. presence
- The United States has roughly 200 soldiers at Pituffik Space Base, which supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance for the United States and NATO.
- Duration
- The detailed account says the accord has no end date and would continue if Greenland became independent, provided it remained in NATO and assumed Denmark’s rights and obligations under the deal.
Sources
Trump signs Greenland security deal with Denmark and Greenland
US President Donald Trump Signs Arctic Security Deal With Denmark, Greenland After Months Of Tensions | Video
Trump, Greenland, Denmark sign deal in bid to end Arctic standoff
