Copenhagen, September 19, 2026: Denmark and Greenland have insisted that a proposed agreement with the United States will not compromise Greenland’s sovereignty, even as US President Donald Trump said Washington would gain “permanent control” over security on the Arctic island.
The United States, Denmark and Greenland said late on Friday that they had reached an agreement that would allow the US to develop a significant military presence in Greenland while preventing US adversaries from establishing bases there. The agreement is expected to be signed during the United Nations General Assembly next week, Reuters reports.
Key Questions Remain Unanswered
Important details of the agreement have not yet been made public. It remains unclear how large the US military presence will be in the self-governed Danish territory or whether Washington will receive any formal authority over Greenland’s foreign policy and resources.
That lack of detail is significant because the language being used by the two sides appears markedly different. Denmark and Greenland are presenting the agreement as one that respects existing sovereignty, while Trump has described it in much broader terms, saying the US would have permanent control over Greenland’s security and “all other needs”.
Denmark and Greenland hope the agreement will end months of uncertainty following Trump’s threats to take control of Greenland.
“Next week could be a good week for Greenland, Denmark, and the United States,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in a statement posted on Facebook on Saturday.
“A time of uncertainty will hopefully give way to a binding agreement that strengthens security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic, and thereby our shared security within NATO and Europe, while respecting the Danish Kingdom’s red lines,” Rasmussen said.
Sovereignty Stays A Red Line
Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly maintained that Washington must respect the sovereignty of the Danish kingdom and that Greenland is not for sale.
Trump, however, offered a sweeping description of the agreement in a Truth Social post late on Friday.
He said the US would “FOREVER have the 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”.
Trump also said the agreement “gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland”. He added that no adversary would be allowed to establish a base or military presence in Greenland or make sensitive investments there without Washington’s express written approval.
The contrast between Trump’s description and statements from Denmark and Greenland leaves the precise balance of power under the agreement unresolved. Until the full terms are made public, the central question will remain how expanded US security powers will operate alongside Greenland’s sovereignty.
Greenland Stresses Self-Determination
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed progress towards an agreement and stressed that Greenland’s sovereignty would remain protected.
“I am pleased on Greenland’s behalf that we are nearing the conclusion of an agreement, an agreement that benefits not only our collective security but also the continued development of this country,” Nielsen said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
“The agreement recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination,” he added.
Trump’s threats, which peaked in January, had triggered a diplomatic crisis, strained relations within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and pushed Denmark and Greenland into negotiations aimed at easing the pressure.
The agreement could therefore mark a significant easing of those tensions, but its success will depend heavily on whether the eventual terms match the assurances being offered by Denmark and Greenland on sovereignty.
NATO Welcomes The Deal
NATO welcomed the agreement on Saturday.
A spokesperson for the alliance said the deal would “help advance security, stability and cooperation in this vital region”.
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For Denmark and Greenland, the agreement is being presented as a way to strengthen Arctic and North Atlantic security without surrendering political control. Trump’s description, however, puts far greater emphasis on permanent US authority over security.
The full agreement, once disclosed, will ultimately show how those two positions have been reconciled.
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