US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a security agreement with Denmark and Greenland aimed at strengthening security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, during a ceremony on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The agreement was signed alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, following months of diplomatic tensions over Trump’s repeated calls for the United States to acquire Greenland.
The deal provides for an expanded US military presence on the strategically located Arctic island while maintaining Greenland under Danish control. It also provides for increased defence cooperation and the development of additional US military facilities in Greenland.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Trump described the agreement as a significant development in relations between the United States, Denmark and Greenland.
“It’s going to be a long-term, fantastic relationship,” Trump said at the event in New York.
The agreement represents a shift from Trump’s earlier push for US ownership of Greenland toward a security arrangement focused on military cooperation and Arctic defence.
According to reports, the agreement allows the United States to expand its military presence at existing and additional sites in Greenland, including Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, while strengthening the role of NATO in Arctic security.
Greenland remains an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, and Danish and Greenlandic officials have maintained that the agreement does not transfer sovereignty over the territory to the United States.
The development comes amid growing strategic interest in the Arctic, where the United States and its NATO allies are increasingly focused on security, military access and the activities of Russia and China.
The agreement is also expected to strengthen US access to Greenland’s strategically important location between North America and Europe, including its existing military infrastructure.
While the deal eases a period of diplomatic tension between Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk, its implementation will depend on the applicable approval processes in Denmark and Greenland.
The signing at the UN General Assembly marks a significant development in relations among the three parties and places greater emphasis on cooperation over Arctic security rather than territorial acquisition.
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