President Donald Trump said on Sept. 18 that the United States has reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that gives the US “permanent control” over Greenland’s security, according to Reuters reporting and the president’s posts.
Trump posted that the deal would give the U.S. “complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the security of Greenland, and the United States of America,” Reuters reported quoting his Truth Social statement.
Details of the arrangement remain unclear: Reuters and BBC reported that Denmark and Greenland said the agreement would not cede sovereignty, and that key terms — including the size of any U.S. military presence — have not been published.
Officials said the pact is expected to be signed during next week’s U.N. General Assembly, Reuters reported, and that it includes provisions barring adversaries from establishing bases or making sensitive investments in Greenland without U.S. approval.
Analysts quoted by Reuters warned the agreement could reshape Arctic security arrangements while raising questions about local self-determination. The University of Copenhagen political scientist Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen said the deal could replace one colonial relationship with another, Reuters reported.
A NATO spokesperson told Reuters the alliance welcomed an agreement that would “help advance security, stability and cooperation in this vital region,” while Greenland’s prime minister said the proposed deal “recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our Kingdom,” Reuters reported.
What is clear from reporting so far is the announcement is framed as a security pact that increases U.S. military capacity in the Arctic while, according to Danish and Greenlandic statements, stopping short of transferring formal sovereignty or selling the territory, Reuters and BBC said.
Sources
- Reuters — Trump’s announcement, verbatim lines from his Truth Social post, that the U.S. would have “permanent control” over Greenland’s security; Danish and Greenlandic statements saying sovereignty is preserved; signing expected at the U.N. General Assembly.
- BBC — Reporting that the deal was announced after months of tension and that details remain unclear.
