The United States, Denmark and Greenland have signed a trilateral agreement aimed at strengthening security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, allowing Washington to expand its military presence on the strategically important island.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, following months of tensions sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for greater American control over Greenland.
Trump said the United States would begin developing a larger military presence in Greenland, including two additional major military sites. Reuters previously reported that the planned locations are Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland, where the United States operated a Cold War-era airbase, and Mestersvig on the island’s east coast, currently used by Denmark’s Sirius Dog Sled Patrol.
“We will immediately begin the process of developing a major military presence in appropriate locations. We will build two very large military bases,” Trump said.
Speaking before the signing, Trump said the agreement would give the United States what he described as “permanent control” over Greenland’s security and other security-related needs. He argued that expanded U.S. capabilities in the Arctic would help protect the United States, Europe and other allies.
Trump also said countries viewed as adversaries of the United States would not be permitted to establish a military presence in Greenland and that sensitive investments would require Washington’s approval, according to reports on his remarks.
The agreement does not transfer sovereignty over Greenland to the United States. Denmark and Greenland have said the arrangement preserves Greenland’s sovereignty and its right to self-determination, while Danish officials have emphasized that Arctic security will remain part of NATO’s broader collective security framework.
The deal represents a significant expansion of U.S. military access to Greenland, which already hosts the American Pituffik Space Base. The island’s location between North America and the Arctic makes it strategically important for missile warning, space operations and monitoring activity in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions.
Trump described the agreement as “tremendous” for the United States, Europe and Greenland, while saying Washington was prepared to build a long-term relationship with Denmark and Greenland.
