U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of Denmark and Greenland have signed an agreement defining the United States’ security role on the Arctic island, following months of tensions after Trump threatened to acquire the self-governing territory of NATO ally Denmark.
The agreement was formally signed Tuesday in New York after U.S., Danish and Greenlandic officials spent months negotiating privately. The talks sought to address American security concerns while reassuring Copenhagen and Nuuk that Greenland’s sovereignty would remain intact.
The three parties expressed satisfaction with the agreement at the signing ceremony. Its main provisions are outlined below.
Washington may “modernize and expand” its operations at the remote Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland.
The United States may also create “defense areas” at Narsarsuaq in the south and Mestersvig in the east. It may establish additional defense areas in Greenland and expand its military operations or facilities.
The accord grants the United States broad military mobility across Greenland, including “undersea access,” citing the changing security environment in the Arctic and the need for greater future efforts to protect it.
It reaffirms “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark” and recognizes the Greenlanders’ “right to self-determination.”
The three parties support expanded NATO engagement in the Arctic, including cooperation on planning, deployments, exercises and joint intelligence gathering.
The agreement permits U.S. military access to Greenland for the defense of NATO territory, Greenland and the American continent, including through a “Golden Dome defense system.”
It specifies that no non-NATO country may establish manned or unmanned military installations in Greenland or maintain a persistent military presence there.
The preamble recognizes “the need to protect the pristine environment of Greenland.” It also emphasizes the economic, social and cultural rights of Greenlanders, including rights relating to their land and way of life, such as hunting, fishing and other traditional, cultural and historical activities.
The agreement has no end date. If Greenland becomes independent, it would remain in NATO and assume Denmark’s rights and obligations under the accord.
It will enter into force after the necessary parliamentary processes within the Kingdom of Denmark, in conjunction with Greenland, are completed.
