What does the new U.S.-Denmark-Greenland deal allow in Greenland?

It allows the United States to expand its military footprint on the island. The expected deal would add two new sites, Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, alongside the existing Pituffik Space Base.

Why did Greenland and Denmark enter negotiations with Trump over Arctic security?

Trump's refusal to rule out military or economic force to acquire Greenland triggered a diplomatic crisis in January within NATO. That pressure pushed Denmark and Greenland into intensive negotiations over the island's security and sovereignty.

What is still unclear about the Greenland agreement?

The unpublished text leaves open whether the deal amends the 1951 defense treaty or operates as a new framework. Denmark has said the agreement respects the kingdom's sovereignty and Greenland's right to self-determination.

Trump, Denmark, Greenland to sign deal in bid to end Arctic standoff

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Summary

President Donald Trump is due to meet leaders of Greenland and Denmark in New York on Tuesday to sign a deal allowing a larger U.S. military presence on Greenland. The agreement is intended to help end a diplomatic standoff over the strategically located Arctic island. The text remains unpublished, and it is still unclear whether it amends the 1951 defense treaty or creates a new framework.

Key Facts

The deal is expected to open two new U.S. military sites in Greenland, Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, in addition to the existing Pituffik Space Base.
Trump will meet Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen at 10:30 a.m. ET in New York for the signing ceremony.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the agreement will put Arctic security under NATO's collective watch rather than leaving it only to Washington and Copenhagen.
Trump said on Friday that the arrangement gives the U.S. permanent control over security and all other needs in Greenland.

By Reuters

Published Sep 22, 2026 4:21 pm KST

The Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, illuminates the sky over houses in Nuuk, Greenland, Feb. 13. Reuters-Yonhap

COPENHAGEN — President Donald Trump is due to meet with leaders of Greenland and Denmark on Tuesday to sign a deal that will allow a larger U.S. military presence on Greenland and could end a standoff over the strategically located and mineral-rich island.

Greenland, a former colony and now a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, sits between the Arctic and North America and holds vast energy resources.

Trump's refusal to rule out military or economic force to acquire it triggered a diplomatic crisis in January within NATO and forced Denmark and the island's government into intensive negotiations.

General view of Mestersvig military outpost in Mestersvig, Greenland, Sept. 18, 2025 / Reuters-Yonhap

US to open two new bases

The agreement they reached will allow the U.S. to expand its military footprint in Greenland, three people familiar with the matter have told Reuters.

In addition to the existing Pituffik Space Base, the deal is expected to open two new military sites: Narsarsuaq, a former Cold War airbase whose population has dwindled to just a few dozen, and Mestersvig, currently used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, an elite Danish special forces unit.

Trump will meet Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen at 10:30 a.m. ET (1630 GMT) at the U.N. General Assembly in New York for the trilateral signing ceremony.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has said the agreement will place Arctic security under NATO's collective watch rather than leaving it to Washington and Copenhagen alone.

Trump said on Friday that the deal gives the U.S. "permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland." Denmark has not responded to Trump's assertion but has said the agreement respects the kingdom's sovereignty and Greenland's right to self-determination.

The text remains unpublished ahead of Tuesday's signing. It remains unclear whether the agreement amends a 1951 defence treaty that has been the legal basis for U.S. presence, or operates as a new framework.

The deal marks a retreat from Trump's earlier ambitions for an outright acquisition of Greenland, an island three times the size of Texas with a population of only 57,000, scattered along its rugged coastline.

But it represents a significant expansion of U.S. military infrastructure on the island - the first major increase since the Cold War, when the U.S. maintained 17 installations and over 10,000 personnel there.

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