NEW YORK, 19 September, 2026 (Nosheen): US President Donald Trump has said he reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that would give Washington “permanent control” over security and other strategic needs in Greenland, while preventing Russia and China from establishing military bases or making sensitive investments in the Arctic territory. Trump said the agreement would ensure that no US adversary could establish a base, deploy military forces or make sensitive investments in Greenland without Washington’s written approval, adding that the United States would immediately begin expanding its military presence there. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen welcomed the agreement, describing it as a deal that recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark as well as the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination. Denmark and Greenland said they would sign the agreement on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next week, although details of the deal remain unclear and Denmark has maintained that its sovereignty remains intact. A US State Department official said the agreement would prevent China and Russia from establishing bases, sending troops or making sensitive investments in Greenland.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the agreement would strengthen the territory’s security, while Frederiksen said she was pleased with the prospect of an agreement that would be beneficial for Greenland, Denmark, the United States, NATO and Europe. Trump has repeatedly argued that US control of Greenland is necessary for strategic reasons and has raised concerns about Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic. Several media reports have said Washington wants to establish three additional military bases in southern Greenland alongside the existing Pituffik base in the north. A 1951 defence agreement, updated in 2004, already allows the United States to increase troop deployments and military installations on the island after informing Denmark and Greenland. Tensions over Greenland had previously strained relations between the United States, Denmark, the European Union and NATO, but have eased somewhat following increased diplomatic engagement and the launch of a new NATO mission aimed at strengthening Arctic security.