Trump signs Greenland security deal with Denmark at U.N.

President Trump on Tuesday signed a trilateral security agreement with Denmark and Greenland on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, granting the United States an expanded military and commercial presence on the strategically located Arctic island.usnews+1

The deal, signed by Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, permits the U.S. to establish two new military bases at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, expand activities at the existing Pituffik Space Base, and deploy a "Golden Dome" ballistic missile defense system on the island. "We're going to have a tremendous relationship, a secure relationship, and we look forward to it," Trump said at the ceremony.reuters+3

What the Deal Does

The agreement bars any non-NATO state from establishing military installations in Greenland or making sensitive investments on the island without the consent of all three signatories. "No U.S. adversary will ever be permitted to establish a military presence in Greenland any more, or make sensitive investments there without our express written approval," Trump said in his U.N. remarks. A State Department official said the deal creates "permanent" guarantees that "only the U.S. and our allies can make sensitive investments in Greenland," ending a status quo that had allowed adversaries to invest in the island's sensitive sectors.reuters+2

The agreement reaffirms Greenland's sovereignty as part of the Kingdom of Denmark, falling short of Trump's earlier demands to annex the territory. Frederiksen called it "an even bigger and better agreement" than the original 1951 U.S.-Denmark defense treaty. "A deal that can last forever," she said.politico+2

Ending a Diplomatic Crisis

The signing caps nearly two years of tension that began in January 2025 when Trump threatened to "take" Greenland, at times refusing to rule out military force. The standoff strained the trans-Atlantic alliance and prompted a diplomatic crisis within NATO. Trump softened his stance at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2025, saying he would not "use force" and had established a "framework of a future deal" with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.foreignpolicy

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told TV2 on Sunday that Arctic security under the deal would largely be handled by NATO, a framing that differs from Trump's characterization of unilateral U.S. control. That gap in interpretation is expected to draw attention as world leaders continue their meetings at the General Assembly this week.foreignpolicy

Arctic Stakes

The agreement could give the United States broad influence over Greenland's reserves of critical minerals and rare earths, though the island's harsh climate, limited infrastructure, and local opposition may slow extraction efforts. Greenland-linked rare-earth stocks rose on Monday following Trump's initial announcement of the deal on Friday.foreignpolicy