RismadarVoice Reporters
September 22, 2026
The United States, Denmark and Greenland have signed a major Arctic security agreement that will expand Washington’s military presence in Greenland while maintaining Danish and Greenlandic sovereignty over the territory.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York by United States President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
The accord brings an end to months of tensions between Washington and Copenhagen over Greenland and establishes a framework for an expanded American military presence on the strategically important Arctic island.
Under the agreement, the United States will be permitted to modernise and expand its activities at the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland.
New military facilities are also expected to be established at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and Mestersvig in the east, while the agreement provides an option for additional defence areas and expanded operations in the future.
Trump said the United States would begin developing a significantly larger military presence in Greenland, including the construction of two major military bases.
The agreement also permits United States military aircraft to fly over and land across Greenland and provides Washington with access to Greenland’s territorial waters and undersea areas.
However, Denmark and Greenland will retain sovereignty over Greenland’s territory.
Another provision restricts countries outside the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation from establishing military installations or maintaining a persistent military presence in Greenland without unanimous approval from Denmark, Greenland and the United States.
The agreement also places restrictions on investors from outside NATO and the European Union seeking involvement in sectors considered sensitive to security.
The accord has no specified expiration date.
It further provides that if Greenland eventually becomes independent from Denmark, it would remain within NATO and assume Denmark’s obligations under the security agreement.
The deal comes amid increasing strategic competition in the Arctic, where the United States and its allies have expressed concerns about the activities and influence of Russia and China.
Washington has maintained a military presence in Greenland for decades. Since the end of World War II, however, the scale of that presence has fallen considerably from thousands of personnel operating across numerous bases to roughly 200 personnel stationed at Pituffik.
The latest agreement follows months of diplomatic tensions after Trump publicly raised the prospect of the United States taking control of Greenland, prompting strong opposition from Denmark and renewed debate over Greenland’s sovereignty and right to self-determination.
Following the signing, Frederiksen described the agreement as one capable of lasting indefinitely, while Nielsen said the arrangement served the security interests of Greenland, the United States and their allies.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Council President Antonio Costa also welcomed the agreement.
Costa described the accord as a positive development for transatlantic cooperation and Arctic security while emphasising respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and Greenlanders’ right to determine their political future.
The agreement significantly expands the framework for United States military operations in Greenland at a time when the Arctic is becoming increasingly important to global defence, shipping and geopolitical competition.
