What to Know About Trump’s National Security Deal With Greenland, Denmark

President Donald Trump and the leaders of Greenland and Denmark signed a deal on Sept. 22 that allows the United States to expand its military presence and control security for the key Arctic territory.

Trump announced the deal on Sept. 18 after repeatedly calling for the United States to be given control of the island, which remains an autonomous Danish territory, citing national security concerns. The pact amends the 1951 Defense Agreement signed by the United States and Denmark and will take effect after it is approved by the parliaments of Greenland and Denmark.

The U.S. president said in a Truth Social statement that the deal gives the United States “permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland” and completely addresses all U.S. concerns.

“This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody,” Trump said at Tuesday’s signing ceremony. “And for Greenland, it’s going to be incredible.”

Here are four things to know about the deal.

New US Bases

The three countries pledged to support a “stronger NATO engagement” in the Arctic region and agreed that the United States would have expanded military access to the island.

The United States will be allowed to “modernize and expand” Pituffik Space Base.

The base is currently operated by the 821st Space Base Group and is part of Space Base Delta 1. Pituffik supports space surveillance, missile warning, and missile defense missions.

The United States will also be allowed to establish two new military bases at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig. During his address to the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 22, Trump confirmed that the United States will start building the bases.

“We will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations. We will be building two very major military bases,” he said.

The United States previously had a base at Narsarsuaq called Bluie West One, but it was closed in the 1950s. The Mestersvig location currently hosts a military outpost used by the Danish special forces unit dubbed the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol.

The agreement also allows the United States to propose more military bases in Greenland.

In addition, future requests for the establishment of unmanned military installations in Greenland outside the defense areas outlined in the agreement will be reviewed by Denmark and Greenland under “accelerated governmental approval procedures.”

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) told The Epoch Times on Sept. 24 that if the Trump administration plans to “do major investment in military infrastructure overseas,” it would be something for Congress to consider.

Expanded Military Access

After ratification of the agreement, U.S. military vehicles and public vessels and aircraft will be granted free movement by land, air, and sea among the defense areas.

One of the reasons given in the agreement for the U.S. military’s expanded access is the establishment of the Golden Dome missile defense system proposed by the Trump administration to protect the U.S. homeland from aerial threats.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) told The Epoch Times on Sept. 24 that the deal gives the United States the “opportunity to protect our northeast flank.”

“Obviously, we’ll build a golden dome, and that’s going to be the perfect place to put it,” he said.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) described the deal as a “good agreement” and “very strategically important” for security.

“This is a meaningful step forward … on the security front,” he told The Epoch Times.

During the Cold War, the United States operated 17 military installations and had over 10,000 personnel in Greenland to counter the threat of the Soviet Union. The U.S. military presence was significantly reduced in the 1990s and 2000s.

Adversaries Barred From Greenland

The agreement prohibits any nation not a part of NATO from establishing military bases in Greenland or having a presence in the territory.

The agreement states, “No state that is not a member of NATO shall be allowed to establish its own manned or unmanned military installations in Greenland nor shall they be allowed a persistent presence of military forces in Greenland, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties.”

The United States, Denmark, and Greenland also agreed that states and investors not a part of NATO or the European Union should not be allowed to have control, significant influence, or access to information that could “constitute a threat to national security or public order” within the territory.

“No U.S. adversary will ever be permitted to establish a military presence in Greenland anymore, or make sensitive investments there without our express written approval,” Trump said in his address to the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 22.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News on Sept. 18 that the deal excludes “any adversary,” such as China and Russia, from having military forces near Greenland or in the surrounding areas.

Greenland’s Self-Determination

The deal, which does not have an end date and can be amended only by mutual consent, includes a provision for the agreement to remain in effect even if Greenland eventually becomes independent.

The agreement reaffirms the “sovereignty” and “territorial integrity” of the Kingdom of Denmark. It also recognizes that the people of Greenland have the right to self-determination, with the procedure for their potential independence outlined in the Act on Greenland Self-Government.

In December 2024, then President-elect Trump said that “the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” Former Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede opposed the idea, saying, “We are not for sale and will never be for sale.”

After repeatedly calling for the United States to acquire Greenland, Trump threatened in January to impose a 10 percent tariff on eight European countries that opposed the proposal.

In July, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reiterated that Greenland was “not for sale.”

“We are ready to defend every inch of NATO, including our own territory. … Of course, we will defend the kingdom of Denmark,” he said at the time.

Nathan Worcester contributed to this report.