WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD (MNN); The United States, Denmark and Greenland have reached an agreement aimed at expanding the US military presence on the strategically important Arctic island while preventing American adversaries from establishing military bases or making certain sensitive investments there without US approval, President Donald Trump said on Friday.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement would give the United States permanent freedom to take measures it considers necessary to protect the security of Greenland and the United States.
“At my direction, we worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the United States will 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 wrote.
Trump also said the agreement had no expiry date and would prevent US adversaries from establishing bases on Greenland or making sensitive investments without Washington’s approval.
The announcement followed a Reuters report that Washington and Copenhagen were nearing an agreement to expand the American military presence on Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, while stopping short of President Trump’s long-standing proposal for the United States to acquire the island.
The United States already enjoys extensive overflight and basing rights in Greenland under a 1951 agreement. The island also hosts a US Space Force installation in its remote northwest.
Trump said the United States would soon begin establishing a “large military presence” on the island, although he did not provide details about the size, location or form of that presence.
“This is a dream come true for the United States of America,” Trump wrote.
Scope of agreement remains unclear
The Danish prime minister’s office said the agreement would contribute to strengthening security in the North Atlantic and the Arctic.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the arrangement recognised Greenland’s interests and its position in international cooperation.
“This benefits us all,” Nielsen said in a statement.
However, several important details of the agreement remained unclear, including whether the arrangement would result in the construction of additional permanent US bases on Greenland.
Trump’s social media statements announcing negotiations or agreements can sometimes provide limited details, leaving the precise legal and operational scope of such arrangements unclear.
Imran Bayoumi, a former Pentagon official who is now associated with the Atlantic Council, said it would represent a significant development if the United States were permitted to establish bases without approval from Greenland or Denmark.
At the same time, he said many of Washington’s objectives could potentially have been pursued through diplomacy and dialogue without placing additional strain on the broader US-NATO relationship.
The agreement’s reception in Greenland also remained uncertain. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, while many residents support greater autonomy or eventual independence. The island has also reacted negatively in the past to US proposals or statements suggesting greater American control.
US says adversaries will be excluded
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately said the agreement had “permanently and completely” addressed Washington’s national security concerns regarding Greenland.
Rubio said Greenland would remain part of North America’s strategic defence area and that adversaries would be excluded from the island and surrounding region.
A US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the agreement would prohibit non-NATO countries from establishing military bases in Greenland.
The official also said only the United States and its allies would be permitted to make certain unspecified “sensitive investments” on the island.
According to the official, the agreement provides the United States with permanent access, basing and overflight rights in Greenland.
The official further said those provisions would remain applicable even if Greenland eventually became independent from Denmark.
The agreement therefore appears to focus on securing long-term US strategic and military access to Greenland while addressing Washington’s concerns about potential involvement by countries regarded by the United States as strategic competitors.
The precise implementation mechanisms, the extent of any new military construction and the response from Greenland’s political leadership and population were not immediately clear.
