Denmark PM Says Greenland Security Deal With US 'Good For NATO And Europe'

A new security agreement between the United States, Denmark and Greenland is “good for NATO and Europe,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Friday, as the deal is expected to be formally signed on the sidelines of next week’s UN General Assembly.

Frederiksen said the agreement “strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area,” while also affirming that it “recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.”

Once signed, the deal will still need to pass through Denmark’s parliamentary process before formally taking effect, her office confirmed.

Trump Calls Deal ‘Infinite’

US President Donald Trump offered a starkly different framing of the agreement,

calling it on Truth Social as an “infinite” deal that grants the US “permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland.”

“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.

He said the arrangement would, from now on, prevent any US adversary from establishing a base, maintaining a military presence, or making “sensitive investments” on the island without prior American approval.

The US already enjoys extensive overflight and basing rights in Greenland under a treaty dating back to 1951, but Trump indicated a substantial new military build-up was imminent, calling the outcome “a dream come true.”

Jens-Frederik Nielsen, head of Greenland’s government, struck a more measured tone, saying the agreement “ensures and strengthens the security of Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark, the United States and the Western alliance,” while also “recognising Greenland’s interests and our place in international cooperation.”

Backdrop of Tension Since Trump’s Return

The deal comes after months of friction, with Trump repeatedly asserting since returning to office in January 2025 that Washington needed control over Greenland for strategic reasons — a stance that alarmed Denmark, a NATO ally, and drew strong pushback from the broader alliance.

Reports have also suggested the US is planning to establish three new military bases in southern Greenland, in addition to its existing Pituffik base in the island’s north.

(With inputs from agencies)