[UPDATE] Trump signed an Arctic pact expanding U.S. military rights in Greenland while leaving sovereignty unchanged.
The agreement bars foreign adversary military access and subjects sensitive infrastructure investments to American screening.
Mette Frederiksen (Prime Minister, Denmark) and Jens-Frederick Nielsen (Prime Minister, Greenland) joined Donald Trump in New York to sign the deal, which lets the U.S. add two military bases without separate local approval.
PREVIOUSLY
- Sep. 8 — The EU pledged aid to Greenland while 11 NATO allies ran Arctic military drills without American participation.
- Sep. 19 — Trump claimed a deal gave the U.S. permanent security control over Greenland, though Denmark withheld confirmation and text.
- Sep. 20 — Denmark and Greenland insisted their sovereignty remained intact, disputing Trump's control claims and noting both parliaments must vote.
Basing details and history:
- Both Danish and Greenlandic parliaments must still complete ratification procedures before the expanded basing rules take effect.
- The agreement updates a 1951 defense treaty that had left the U.S. with just one base at Pituffik, down from a World War II peak of 17.
- Adversaries currently have no significant military footprint or active investments on the island.