Danish and Greenlandic leaders backed the pact but said it recognizes their sovereignty and Greenlanders' right to self-determination. That language cuts against Trump's 'permanent control' framing. The text has not been released. It gives the US permanent access and overflight rights, bars non-NATO bases and limits adversarial investment, but hands over no territory. Analysts say it mostly restates basing rights the US has held since 1951. Leaders expect to sign it in New York during next week's UN General Assembly, and both parliaments must still approve it.
Catch up
Sep. 7 — Ursula von der Leyen pledged money for Greenland in Nuuk and promised to more than double that sum. Eleven NATO countries — not the US — ran exercises on the island. Sep. 19 — Trump announced a US-Denmark-Greenland security pact he described as giving the US "permanent control over security, and all other needs."
The terms, so far
- Greenland PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen: the deal "recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination."
- Trump said the deal carries no cost to the United States.
- Greenland's population is roughly 56,000.