Shibbir Ahmed, New York — President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a new security agreement with Denmark and Greenland aimed at strengthening defense cooperation in the Arctic, during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen joined Trump for the signing ceremony. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also present as the agreement was signed.
The agreement amends and supplements the existing 1951 U.S.-Denmark defense agreement concerning Greenland. It reaffirms the parties’ defense cooperation and provides for expanded U.S. military access and activities in Greenland.
Under the agreement, the United States will be allowed to modernize and expand activities at Pituffik Space Base and establish additional defense areas at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, subject to arrangements between the parties. The agreement also provides a framework for establishing additional defense areas in Greenland through consultations and mutual agreement.
The agreement gives U.S. forces specified rights of access and movement in Greenland, including access by land, air and sea between defense areas. It also establishes provisions concerning U.S. aircraft and public vessels operating in Greenland and its territorial waters.
The three parties also agreed to strengthen cooperation on Arctic security, including through greater NATO engagement, planning, military presence, exercises and intelligence gathering.
The agreement includes provisions restricting non-NATO states from establishing military installations or maintaining a persistent military presence in Greenland unless otherwise agreed by the parties. It also contains restrictions related to certain foreign investments and activities considered potential threats to national security or public order.
The document reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and recognizes the right of the people of Greenland to self-determination under international law. It also states that the agreement has no end date and can be amended only by mutual consent under the existing defense framework.
The White House described the agreement as a major step in strengthening U.S. security interests in the Arctic. The signing took place as world leaders gathered in New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The agreement was signed in New York on September 22, 2026, in English, Danish and Greenlandic. It will enter into force after the required parliamentary procedures in Denmark and Greenland are completed and the United States receives the necessary diplomatic notification.
