WorldPosted at: Sep 19 2026 11:46PM


Denmark, Greenland leaders cautiously optimistic over new security arrangement with US over self-governing island

Copenhagen/Nuuk, Sep 19 (UNI) Denmark and Greenland's leaders expressed cautious optimism towards the security agreement reached with the US that is expected to expand Washington's military presence on the semi-autonomous Arctic territory.
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had reached a deal granting the US "permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland", saying it addressed American security concerns.
Denmark and the US already have a long-standing defence agreement allowing American forces to operate in Greenland, and it remains unclear how the new arrangement will differ in practice. The agreement is expected to be signed in New York on Tuesday, when world leaders gather for the UN General Assembly, according to US officials.
The office of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said parliamentary action was still required in Denmark and Greenland before the agreement could take effect.
"Next week could be a good week … for Greenland, Denmark, and the United States alike," Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in a post on Instagram.
"A period of uncertainty will hopefully be replaced by a binding agreement that strengthens security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic — and thus also our shared security within NATO and Europe — while respecting the Kingdom's red lines," he added.
Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said he was pleased with the agreement, which he said would benefit collective security as well as Greenland's continued development.
Greenland's foreign minister, Múte B Egede, said he was pleased that "we now have an agreement within reach".
"It has taken some time," he told Danish broadcaster TV2. "I'm pleased that we finally have an end product within reach. And it's about time."
According to the US State Department, the agreement would guarantee permanent American access to Greenland and overflight rights, potentially allowing the US to expand its military presence. It would also prevent non-NATO countries from establishing military bases on the island and restrict sensitive investments by American adversaries, according to the department.
Trump said the US would "immediately" begin work to increase its military presence in Greenland, which is strategically important because of its location between North America and Europe and its mineral resources.
NATO welcomed the agreement, saying it would help strengthen security, stability and cooperation in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
The US has operated military facilities in Greenland since the early years of the Cold War. It continues to run Pituffik Space Base in north-western Greenland, which supports missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance operations for the US and NATO.
Neither Denmark nor Greenland has publicly confirmed all the details contained in Trump's announcement, and the full terms of the agreement have not been released. Danish and Greenlandic authorities have also stressed that the arrangement does not transfer sovereignty over Greenland to the US.
The agreement follows months of tension after Trump repeatedly called for the US to acquire Greenland, at times refusing to rule out using military force to take control of the territory. Denmark and Greenland have consistently said the island is not for sale.
US, Danish and Greenlandic officials had been negotiating behind the scenes for months over ways to address American security concerns while maintaining Greenland's status within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Trump can now present the agreement as a foreign policy achievement, although questions remain over its exact scope, how the new arrangements will operate and what additional military presence the US will establish on the island.
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Tags: #Denmark# Greenland leaders cautiously optimistic over new security arrangement with US over self-governing island
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