Trump Deal Expands US Military Grip on Greenland

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Greenland and Denmark signed an agreement Tuesday expanding the US military presence on the strategically located, mineral-rich island, potentially easing a standoff over Washington’s ambitions in the Arctic.

Signed on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, the deal falls short of Trump’s earlier demand to annex Greenland, instead formalizing a broader US military presence. It allows Washington to establish a “Golden Dome” missile defense system and expands access to the island, home to the US military’s northernmost base.

Ahead of the signing, Trump said the agreement gives the US “permanent control” over Greenland’s security, adding that US adversaries would be barred from establishing military facilities or making sensitive investments there without Washington’s approval.

Trump signed the deal with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen. Frederiksen said it reinforces NATO while respecting Greenland’s right to self-determination, while Nielsen stressed NATO’s role in the Arctic and said Greenlanders must now work to rebuild trust with Washington following Trump’s threats to seize the island.

The agreement expands the US military footprint beyond the existing Pituffik Space Base, opening two additional sites at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig. Trump said Washington would begin developing a “large military presence” and two major bases.

Under the deal, which amends the 1951 US-Danish defense treaty, Washington may seek additional bases by mutual agreement. It grants US aircraft and vessels broad access to Greenland and its territorial waters, while barring non-NATO states from establishing military installations on the island.

The agreement also restricts foreign investment in sensitive sectors, including critical infrastructure and resource extraction, effectively limiting control or significant influence by states and investors outside NATO, NATO partners, and the European Union.

The deal requires approval by the Danish and Greenlandic parliaments and marks the first major expansion of US military infrastructure in Greenland since the Cold War, when Washington maintained 17 installations and more than 10,000 personnel there.