WASHINGTON, United States — President Donald Trump announced on Friday, September 18, 2026, that the United States, Denmark, and Greenland had reached an agreement granting Washington permanent military access and broad security rights in the Arctic territory without transferring sovereignty.
The three governments expect to sign the agreement in New York during the coming United Nations General Assembly, according to statements from Danish and Greenlandic leaders.
Trump characterised the arrangement as giving the United States “permanent control over security” in Greenland.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, however, stressed that ownership of the territory would not change.
Permanent Access Without Sovereignty
Under the announced terms, the United States would receive permanent access, basing, and overflight rights in Greenland.
Washington would also be able to expand its military presence and increase the number of bases if it considered that necessary to defend Greenland and North America.
A State Department official said the arrangement would remain in force even if Greenland eventually became fully independent from Denmark.
Trump said in a Truth Social post that the agreement would have no expiration date and would impose no cost on the United States.
He said his administration would begin working with Greenland to develop a substantially larger American military presence in an appropriate area of the territory.
Frederiksen described the planned accord as a measure that would strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic while benefiting NATO and Europe.
She said it “recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.”
The distinction is central to how Copenhagen and Nuuk have presented the agreement.
Although the United States would gain lasting security privileges, Greenland would remain an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Restrictions on Russia and China
The agreement would prevent countries outside NATO from establishing military bases or maintaining troops in Greenland, according to the State Department.
It would also create screening procedures designed to stop Russia, China, and other governments considered American adversaries from making sensitive investments that Washington believes could threaten regional security.
Trump said no adversary would be permitted to establish a military presence or undertake sensitive investments without written American approval.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agreement would permanently include Greenland within North America’s strategic defence area and resolve Washington’s security concerns about the territory.
The accord gives the United States substantial authority over Greenland’s external security while leaving political sovereignty with Denmark and preserving Greenlanders’ right to decide their constitutional future.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, chairman of Greenland’s government, said the arrangement would strengthen the security of Greenland, Denmark, the United States, and their Western allies.
Nielsen said the agreement recognised Greenland’s interests and its position in international cooperation.
A Negotiated End to Annexation Threats
The agreement follows months of pressure from Trump, who had previously suggested that the United States could take Greenland “one way or the other.”
Trump initially declined to rule out military force as a means of acquiring the territory.
He later withdrew that threat, although his administration continued seeking greater American authority in Greenland.
Jeff Landry, the United States special envoy to Greenland and governor of Louisiana, visited the territory in May as negotiations continued among American, Danish, and Greenlandic representatives.
Trump’s earlier statements provoked anger in Greenland, where surveys have consistently shown overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the United States.
Greenland’s government nevertheless participated in the security talks, seeking an arrangement that would address American concerns without surrendering sovereignty or the population’s right to self-determination.
Strategic Importance in the Arctic
Greenland’s location has made it a focus of competition involving the United States, Russia, and China.
The territory also possesses extensive mineral resources that have attracted international interest.
The new agreement is intended to prevent rival governments from gaining a military or strategically significant economic foothold there.
Trump presented the deal as resolving the national security concerns that drove his campaign for greater American control.
Denmark and Greenland presented it more narrowly as a collective defence arrangement consistent with their sovereignty and NATO membership.
The final text has not yet been publicly released.
Based on the terms announced by the three governments, the agreement would give the United States permanent military privileges and significant influence over foreign security investments while stopping short of the territorial acquisition Trump once proposed.
