New York, September 23, 2026 — The Europe Today: US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen have signed a trilateral agreement aimed at strengthening security cooperation in Greenland and easing months of tensions over the strategically important Arctic territory.
The agreement, signed on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, permits an expanded US military presence in Greenland while the territory remains under Danish sovereignty. It also marks a shift from earlier US proposals to acquire Greenland outright.
Under the agreement, the United States will be able to establish additional military facilities in Greenland, alongside the existing Pituffik Space Base. Two additional sites are expected to be developed at Narsarsuaq, a former Cold War-era airbase, and Mestersvig, which is currently used by Denmark’s Sirius Dog Sled Patrol.
The agreement also provides for the establishment of a “Golden Dome” missile-defense system in Greenland as part of efforts to strengthen defenses against ballistic missile threats. The arrangement represents a significant expansion of US military infrastructure on the island, according to Reuters.
President Trump said the agreement would provide the United States with a permanent role in Greenland’s security and other security-related requirements, while Danish and Greenlandic leaders have emphasized that the arrangement respects Denmark’s sovereignty and Greenland’s right to self-determination.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the agreement underscored the importance of NATO’s role in Arctic security and described it as a long-term arrangement. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen likewise emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong NATO presence in the Arctic.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, occupies a strategically significant position between the Arctic and North America and possesses substantial mineral and energy resources.
The agreement follows months of diplomatic tensions after President Trump repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland and declined to rule out economic or military measures to pursue that objective. The issue had generated friction between Washington and Copenhagen, both NATO members, before negotiations produced the new security framework.
The arrangement amends the framework governing the US military presence in Greenland and is expected to place greater emphasis on collective NATO security in the Arctic. It represents the first major expansion of US military infrastructure on Greenland since the Cold War period.
