US, Denmark and Greenland Sign Security Pact Expanding American Military Footprint in the Arctic
WASHINGTON, September 23 — The United States, Denmark and its autonomous territory of Greenland signed a security agreement at the United Nations on Tuesday, closing a prolonged standoff over the strategic Arctic island and widening Washington’s military footprint there.
Under the pact, signed by President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the United States may modernize and expand its activities at the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland and establish additional defense areas at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig. U.S. aircraft gain permission to fly over and land across Greenland, including its territorial waters, and American vessels receive undersea access — a configuration that formalizes a presence tracing to a 1951 defense accord.
The agreement bars non-NATO states from establishing military installations on the island and restricts outside investors from gaining control of sensitive sectors — a clause widely read as aimed at limiting the reach of strategic competitors in the High North, where the Greenland–Iceland–UK gap has regained weight as great-power competition returns to the Arctic.
The three parties framed the deal differently. Trump described it as a grant of “permanent control” over Greenland’s security needs; Copenhagen and Nuuk stressed Denmark’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination. Analysts noted the text remains subject to parliamentary approval in Denmark and Greenland before it enters into force.
The signing ends a chapter that began in 2025, when Trump repeatedly floated acquiring Greenland and refused to rule out economic or military means — drawing opposition from NATO allies and Greenlanders alike. Whether the pact stabilizes the Arctic or deepens rivalry will hinge on how the parties implement it on the ground.