The US and Denmark have reached an agreement over Greenland’s security, Donald Trump announced on Friday, following months of threats to take the island by force.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the deal gives the US “permanent control over security” in Greenland and prevents any US adversary from having a military presence on the island.
He added that there will be “no cost” to the US, and went on to call the arrangement “an ‘Infinite Life’ Agreement.”
Trump’s announcement means Greenland remains under Danish control and came ahead of the official text being released.
It is unclear how far this agreement differs from an existing 1951 pact between the US and Denmark that allowed broad US military presence in Greenland.
“Additionally, from now on, no U.S. adversary can EVER have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written approval,” Trump said.
He added that the US would “immediately begin” building its own “large military presence” and work with the people in Greenland, a Danish territory, on “its development and construction.”
Donald Trump announced the deal in a social media post late on Friday. Credit: AP
The US has operated Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland since the Defence of Greenland Treaty was signed in 1951. The military base supports missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance for the US and NATO.
The office of Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said the deal will be signed by all three governments next week during the United Nations General Assembly, but parliamentary action is still needed by the Danish and Greenland governments before it can be enforced.
“I am glad that we are about to make a great agreement for Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the United States,” Frederiksen said, adding that the agreement would be “great for NATO and Europe as well.”
She also said the agreement “recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.”
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said “the agreement recognises Greenland’s interests and our place in the international cooperation,” adding, “It is to the benefit of us all.”
A US official said the agreement includes “permanent access, basing, and overflight rights” for the US on the island.
The agreement blocks non-NATO countries, including China and Russia, from having a base or sending troops to Greenland, the official said, adding that it guarantees “the necessary mechanisms are in place to prevent investment in sensitive sectors.”
Russia has expanded its military footprint in the Arctic for decades, and China has also deepened its presence there.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement the agreement “permanently and completely addresses our national security concerns in Greenland.”
Earlier this year, Trump repeatedly insisted on the importance of the United States obtaining Greenland for national security purposes.
Trump’s repeated claims about seizing Greenland set off a diplomatic crisis within the NATO alliance and an effort to try to defuse the threat.
Subscribe for free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.
In January, after a meeting between Danish and Greenlandic officials and Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US, Denmark and Greenland formed a “high-level working group to explore if we can find a common way forward” amid ongoing disputes around the sovereignty of the island, in the words of Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
Later that month, at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Trump said he had secured the “framework of a future deal” on Greenland.
That framework bear strong similarities to an existing 1951 pact between the US and Denmark.
The US official noted that “under the previous status quo, any country, including adversaries, could be allowed to build a military base in Greenland or send troops to Greenland.”
“By contrast, under this agreement, no non-NATO country may build a base in Greenland or maintain a troop presence in Greenland,” they said.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know….