WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump announced on Friday that the United States has reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland granting the U.S. what he called “permanent control over security” on the Arctic island — a deal that expands the American military footprint there considerably, while stopping well short of his earlier, repeated calls to annex Greenland outright.
President Trump announced the agreement in a Truth Social post, writing:
“The United States of America has entered into an Agreement with The Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland, that gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many U.S. concerns. There will be NO COST to the United States!”
The president described the arrangement as an “Infinite Life” agreement, adding: “there is no end!”
Trump said the deal bars any U.S. adversary from ever establishing a military base or presence in Greenland, or making “sensitive investments” there, without Washington’s express written approval.
He also confirmed the U.S. will begin developing what he called a “large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland, of which there are many.”
A State Department official said the agreement would allow the U.S. to establish additional military bases in Greenland and would preserve that American security presence even if Greenland were to eventually become independent from Denmark.
The official said the deal specifically bars China, Russia, and other non-NATO countries from establishing military bases or making security-sensitive investments on the island without U.S. approval.
Crucially, Denmark and Greenland’s own leaders were explicit that the agreement does not transfer sovereignty to the United States: Greenland remains a self-governing Danish territory, and the deal is framed as recognizing Denmark’s continued territorial authority even as it expands U.S. security involvement.
Friday's announcement caps a monthslong effort that began with considerably more aggressive rhetoric. In January, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump told assembled world leaders he was “seeking immediate negotiations... to discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States,” calling it “a small ask,” and insisted at the time that only the U.S. could properly defend “this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice.”
BREAKING: President Donald J. Trump announces complete and permanent American security control over Greenland, and excludes any adversary from Greenland and the surrounding region. pic.twitter.com/MVuT4yAfG5
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 18, 2026
Trump had previously suggested the U.S. might need to act by military force if necessary, and threatened tariffs on European nations as leverage. Hours after his Davos remarks, Trump announced on Truth Social that a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte had produced “the framework of a future deal” on Greenland and the broader Arctic region, alongside his decision to scrap planned tariffs on European countries.
Friday’s agreement represents the conclusion of that framework, arriving roughly eight months later.
Greenland & Denmark’s Response
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen struck a notably positive tone, saying “the agreement recognizes Greenland’s interests and our place in the international cooperation,” and adding, “It is to the benefit of us all.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed the agreement but noted it must still complete required parliamentary procedures before taking full effect.
Denmark and Greenland said the signed agreement is expected to be formally executed next week, timed to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level session in New York.
Existing U.S. Presence, Now Expanding
Greenland has hosted an American military presence for decades under a longstanding defense agreement with Denmark, centered on Pituffik Space Base in the island’s northwest. Friday’s deal builds on that existing footprint rather than creating an entirely new one, though the scale of expansion Trump described — a “large” military presence across “many” appropriate parts of the island — suggests a substantially more extensive American presence than the current arrangement provides.
Greenland’s strategic significance has grown considerably amid intensifying competition over Arctic shipping routes, rare earth minerals, and military positioning between the U.S., Russia, and China.
The island sits along critical Arctic approaches to North America, and its mineral deposits have drawn growing international interest as climate change opens previously inaccessible territory.
Trump’s persistent focus on Greenland throughout his second term reflects that broader strategic calculation, even as his methods shifted from open annexation threats to a negotiated security framework.
With the formal signing expected next week in New York and Danish parliamentary approval still required, the practical scope of the U.S. military buildup in Greenland — including where new bases will be located and their eventual size — remains to be detailed.
