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.

Shibbir Ahmed, Washington DC — President Donald Trump has announced a new security agreement involving the United States, Denmark and Greenland that would expand the U.S. military presence on the strategically important Arctic island and give Washington long-term security access. Trump announced the agreement on September 18, describing it as providing the United States with “permanent control” over Greenland’s security and saying it would address Washington’s national security concerns. He also said the United States would begin developing plans for a larger military presence on the island.

The agreement does not transfer Greenland’s sovereignty to the United States. Denmark and Greenland said the arrangement recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark as well as the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination. The governments have also indicated that the agreement must go through the necessary parliamentary procedures before it can take effect.

The precise terms of the agreement have not yet been made public. According to reporting by Reuters, the deal would allow the United States to expand its military presence in Greenland while preventing U.S. adversaries from establishing military bases on the island or making sensitive investments there.

A U.S. State Department official said the agreement guarantees Washington permanent access, basing and overflight rights and is designed to remain in place even if Greenland eventually becomes independent. The official also said the agreement would prevent non-NATO countries from establishing military bases in Greenland.

Trump said the United States would work with Greenland’s population on the development and construction of additional military facilities. The United States already maintains a significant military installation at Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, formerly known as Thule Air Base. The U.S. has maintained military facilities on the island for decades under a 1951 defense agreement with Denmark.

The announcement follows months of tension over Greenland. Trump has repeatedly argued that the island is strategically important to U.S. national security because of its location between North America, Europe and the Arctic region. His earlier push to acquire Greenland generated strong opposition in Denmark and Greenland and created tensions with other NATO allies.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the agreement would strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic and would be beneficial to NATO and Europe. She also emphasized that the arrangement recognizes Denmark’s sovereignty and Greenland’s right to self-determination.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also welcomed the agreement, saying it recognizes Greenland’s interests and its role in international cooperation. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and has its own government and parliament.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agreement addresses Washington’s national security concerns and ensures that Greenland remains part of the strategic defense area of North America. NATO also welcomed the announcement, saying greater security and cooperation in the Arctic and North Atlantic would benefit the alliance.

The planned agreement is expected to be signed in New York during the United Nations General Assembly next week, according to the governments involved. It will then face the required parliamentary procedures in Denmark and Greenland.

The agreement represents a shift from Trump’s earlier proposal to acquire Greenland toward a security-focused arrangement that leaves the territory under Danish sovereignty while giving the United States expanded and potentially permanent military access. The full text of the agreement will be important in determining the precise scope of Washington’s rights and obligations under the arrangement.