The United States, Denmark and Greenland have signed a security agreement granting Washington permanent military basing rights and expanded access to Greenland, strengthening American and NATO defence capabilities in the strategically important Arctic region.
The agreement was signed by US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Sept 22 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
According to a White House statement, the agreement guarantees long-term US security interests in Greenland and prevents American adversaries from establishing military bases, maintaining a military presence or undertaking sensitive investments without US approval.
The agreement supplements the existing 1951 defence arrangement between the United States and Denmark, providing an expanded framework for American military operations and Arctic security cooperation.
It also supports the potential establishment of a US Golden Dome missile defence system and expanded military facilities in Greenland.
Importantly, the agreement reaffirms Denmark’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while recognising the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination. It does not transfer ownership of Greenland to the United States.
The agreement has no fixed expiry date and may only be amended by mutual consent. It will enter into force following the completion of the necessary parliamentary procedures in Denmark and Greenland.
Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen said the agreement would strengthen collective security and deterrence across the Arctic and North Atlantic, while Greenland’s Prime Minister Nielsen welcomed the arrangement as a step towards closer defence cooperation.
The agreement comes amid growing strategic competition in the Arctic, where military security, emerging shipping routes and access to critical minerals have become increasingly important to major economies.
