US, Denmark and Greenland strike deal to expand US military presence, falling short of trump’s acquisition goal

THE United States, Denmark and Greenland have reached an agreement to expand the US military presence on Greenland and prevent US adversaries from establishing bases or making sensitive investments on the strategically important Arctic island, President Donald Trump said on Friday.

Reuters reported on Saturday Trump saying the agreement would give the United States permanent access, basing and overflight rights in Greenland and allow Washington to take measures it considers necessary to defend Greenland and US security.

“At my direction, we worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the security of Greenland, and the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The agreement does not, however, transfer Greenland to the United States, falling short of Trump’s long-standing ambition to acquire the autonomous Danish territory.

The United States already enjoys extensive overflight and basing rights in Greenland under a 1951 treaty and currently operates a Space Force base in the island’s remote northwest.

Trump nevertheless described the agreement as “a dream come true for the United States of America” and said Washington would soon establish a large military presence on the island, without providing details.

The full scope of the agreement remained unclear on Friday, including whether it would lead to the construction of new US bases.

The Danish prime minister’s office said the agreement would strengthen security in the North Atlantic and Arctic, while Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said it recognised Greenland’s interests and its place in international cooperation.

“This benefits us all,” Nielsen said.

A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the agreement prohibits non-NATO countries from establishing a base in Greenland and allows only the United States and its allies to make unspecified “sensitive investments”.

The official said the agreement grants the United States permanent access, basing and overflight rights and would remain in effect even if Greenland becomes independent.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agreement “permanently and completely” addressed Washington’s national security concerns over Greenland.

“Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defence area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area,” he said.

Imran Bayoumi, a former Pentagon official now with the Atlantic Council think tank, said it would be significant if the United States could build bases without approval from Greenland or Denmark.

But he said Washington appeared capable of achieving many of its objectives through diplomacy without straining relations with Denmark and the wider NATO alliance.

The agreement’s reception in Greenland also remained uncertain. The island’s population has aspirations for independence from Denmark and has previously resisted US efforts to assert greater control over the territory. -  September 19, 2026