Trump signs security deal with Greenland, Denmark at UN

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President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a security deal with the leaders of Greenland and Denmark on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, cooling temperatures after his calls for control over the autonomous Danish territory.

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“It’s going to be a long-term, fantastic relationship,” Trump said at the event in New York.

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“This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody,” he added.

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Under the wide-ranging 10-page pact, the United States will build two military bases in southern and eastern Greenland.

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These will be established in Narsarsuaq in the south of the island and Mestersvig in the east, in addition to the Pituffik base it already operates in the north.

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The deal also reaffirmed “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark” and recognized Greenland’s “right to self-determination.”

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Since returning to the presidency in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly insisted that the United States needs to control Greenland for strategic reasons.

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This alarmed NATO ally Denmark and sparked fierce pushback from the alliance.

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Trump previously said that the arrangement would give America “permanent control” over security for the territory in the Arctic that he has long coveted.

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“Mr. President, you have been very clear. You don’t want adversaries to come too close,” said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen ahead of the signing.

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“I fully agree, and with this deal, they are not,” she added, noting that adversaries will not be allowed to get control or significant influence in the territory.

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Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen added that Greenland matters for North American security and for transatlantic security.

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“This agreement reflects that we understand our responsibility and act accordingly,” he added.

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The agreement blocks non-NATO, non-EU countries from strategic sectors in Greenland, in an attempt to bar US adversaries China and Russia from gaining a foothold in the Arctic.

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Such parties will generally not be allowed “control, significant influence, or access to non-public information that may constitute a threat to national security or public order” within sensitive sectors.

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EU chief Antonio Costa welcomed the deal on Tuesday as a “positive step for transatlantic cooperation and Arctic security.”

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“The EU stands ready to continue working closely with Greenland, Denmark and our transatlantic partners for a peaceful, secure and prosperous Arctic,” Costa posted on X.

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The agreement also stipulates that Greenland, home to 57,000 inhabitants, must continue to abide by the agreement even if it obtains independence from Denmark.

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It should also remain in or join NATO “if necessary.”

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Under a 1951 defense pact updated in 2004, Washington was already able to ramp up its military presence on the island provided it informed Denmark and Greenland in advance.

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AFP

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