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US President Donald Trump says Washington has secured “permanent control” over Greenland’s security and “all other needs” under a new agreement with Denmark. However, the deal falls short of his previously stated goal of US ownership of the self-governing Arctic territory, according to Al Jazeera.
Denmark said the agreement is expected to be signed during next week’s United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York. It will still require ratification by the Danish and Greenlandic parliaments, while Copenhagen has stressed that it retains sovereignty over Greenland.
What does the agreement include?
The official text has not yet been released. Trump said the agreement would give the US permanent control over Greenland’s security and other needs at no cost to Washington.
He also said the deal would prevent US adversaries from establishing military facilities or making sensitive investments in Greenland without American approval. A US State Department official cited by the BBC said non-NATO countries would be barred from building bases or making investments that could threaten the United States.
The official specifically mentioned China and Russia, saying they would not be able to deploy troops, build bases or invest in sensitive sectors on the island. Mikkel Olesen, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, said this was unlikely to represent a major concession because Denmark and Greenland had never wanted Russian or Chinese military bases there.
Trump described the arrangement as an “‘Infinite Life’ Agreement”, saying it would never expire. The State Department official also said Washington would have the right to build additional military sites without approval from Greenland or Denmark, and that the agreement would remain valid even if Greenland became independent.
The agreement makes no specific reference to US mining rights. Greenland has deposits of rare-earth minerals, zinc, iron, uranium and graphite, which are used in products ranging from smartphones to fighter jets. Some observers believe Trump’s reference to “sensitive investments” could include access to those resources.
How have Greenland and Denmark responded?
Greenland and Denmark acknowledged the agreement on Friday but did not provide detailed information about its terms.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the deal “recognises Greenland’s interests” and would benefit all sides. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it was “great for NATO and Europe” because it would strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Olesen cautioned that the available information should be treated carefully because most details have so far come from the US side.
Does the deal give the US ownership of Greenland?
No. The agreement does not fulfil Trump’s earlier objective of acquiring Greenland.
Frederiksen said the deal recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, as well as the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.
Trump’s previous threats to seize Greenland triggered strong opposition on the island, which has a population of about 56,000. A poll conducted in January 2025 found that 85 percent of Greenlanders opposed becoming part of the United States.
What military rights does the US already have?
Under a 1951 treaty, the United States already has broad rights to use Greenland’s airspace and establish military facilities. The agreement allows Washington to build bases, station personnel and control the landing, takeoff, anchorage, movement and operation of ships, aircraft and other watercraft.
The US currently operates Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, with more than 100 personnel stationed there.
It remains unclear how much the new agreement would change the existing arrangements. Trump said the US would immediately begin building a larger military presence on the island, although Washington already has the right to build bases and deploy personnel under the 1951 treaty.
Imran Bayoumi, a former Pentagon official, told Reuters that unilateral US construction of bases would be a new development. He said Washington might have achieved many of its objectives through diplomacy without putting additional strain on relations within NATO.
Trump also said the US would support Greenlanders with development and construction, without providing further details. Richard Weitz of the NATO Defense College said the agreement could ease one of NATO’s most serious internal disputes.
While Trump appears to have accepted less than his original demand, Weitz said he had secured much of what he wanted apart from formal annexation.
