Trump announces deal with Denmark giving US permanent security control over Greenland

What the deal says

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Friday that the US, Denmark and Greenland had reached an agreement giving Washington "permanent control over security, and all other needs" in Greenland. He said it would come at "no cost to the United States" and described it as an "infinite life" agreement with no expiry. Trump said no US adversary would be able to establish a military base or make sensitive investments in Greenland without Washington's written approval, and announced plans to "immediately" begin building a larger US military presence on the island.

According to BBC, citing an unnamed US State Department official, the deal gives the US unilateral power to build additional military structures without approval from Greenland or Denmark, along with permanent access, basing and overflight rights. The official said the arrangement would reportedly not expire even if Greenland became independent in the future. No official text of the agreement has been released, so it remains unclear exactly how it differs from the existing 1951 Defense of Greenland Treaty.

Reactions from Denmark and Greenland

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the deal "strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area" while also "recognising the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Denmark and Greenland, as well as Greenlanders' right to self-determination. She noted the agreement still needs to go through parliamentary procedures. Greenland's Chairman Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the deal, saying it "recognises Greenland's interests and our place in international co-operation." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a "historic deal" and a "huge win" for the United States.

Background

Greenland, an autonomous territory of about 56,000 people within the Kingdom of Denmark, has been at the centre of months of diplomatic tension after Trump repeatedly demanded US control over the island and did not rule out using military force. Denmark and Greenland repeatedly rejected proposals to sell the territory. The US already operates the Pituffik Space Base in north-western Greenland, where, according to BBC, more than 100 military personnel are permanently stationed. The island is rich in rare earth minerals and strategically important for missile defence, including Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" system. ABC News notes the Greenland dispute had recently taken a back seat to US operations in Venezuela and Iran, and the announcement gives Trump a foreign policy win ahead of the midterm elections.