US set to expand military presence in Greenland under new arctic security deal

THE United States is set to expand its military presence in Greenland under a new security agreement with Denmark and Greenland to be signed at the United Nations in New York today, according to people familiar with the deal.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that the agreement is expected to allow the US to establish a military presence at two additional sites — Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and Mestersvig on the east coast — alongside the existing Pituffik Space Base.

The deal is to be signed by US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Its full text has not been made public, and details were not expected to be finalised until the signing.

Denmark has said the agreement will strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic and place greater responsibility for Arctic security within NATO rather than leaving it solely to Washington and Copenhagen.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the arrangement would mean that responsibility for security in the Arctic was not solely Danish or American, with NATO playing a greater role.

Frederiksen has stressed that the agreement does not involve transferring sovereignty over Greenland to the United States.

Denmark will continue to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity while recognising the right of Greenland’s people to determine their own future in accordance with international law.

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

The agreement follows months of pressure from Trump, who has repeatedly said the United States should control Greenland and had previously declined to rule out military or economic force to acquire the strategically located territory.

The pressure triggered a diplomatic crisis within NATO and led Denmark, Greenland and Washington into negotiations over Arctic security.

During the Cold War, the US maintained 17 military installations and more than 10,000 personnel in Greenland. Today, Pituffik Space Base is the only US military base there, with about 150 US personnel.

The existing US military presence is based on a 1951 defence agreement with Denmark that was amended in 2004. It remains unclear whether the new agreement will amend that arrangement.

NATO has welcomed the agreement, saying it would help advance security, stability and cooperation in the strategically important Arctic region. - September 22, 2026