President Trump announced on Tuesday that the United States has signed a security agreement with Denmark and Greenland to establish two new military bases on the Arctic island. The deal, signed during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, allows Washington to expand its military presence and provides a mechanism to block foreign adversaries from establishing a foothold in the territory.
The agreement follows a period of diplomatic tension beginning last year when the U.S. president expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory. In January 2026, several European NATO members, including Germany, Sweden, and France, deployed personnel to the island as a show of solidarity after the U.S. discussed the possibility of using force or imposing trade tariffs. Following negotiations involving NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the U.S. moved toward a formal security framework instead of annexation.
According to the 10-page agreement, the U.S. will re-establish a military presence in Narsarsuaq, a southern settlement that formerly hosted a Cold War-era air base, and build a new facility in Mestersvig on the eastern coast. The U.S. currently maintains approximately 150 service members at Pituffik Space Base, which focuses on missile defense and space surveillance. Under the new terms, the U.S. is permitted to modernize and expand activities at Pituffik and may request additional unmanned installations subject to an accelerated approval process by Greenland and Denmark.
On a broader scale, the deal shifts the security architecture of the Arctic, a region increasingly strategic due to its mineral resources, such as rare-earth metals, and its position on direct flight and shipping routes between North America and Europe. The re-establishment of the Narsarsuaq base, which has seen its local population dwindle to a few dozen since 1958, and the new outpost at Mestersvig represent a significant expansion from the single existing U.S. installation at Pituffik. Protests held in Nuuk as recently as January 2026 indicate that portions of the local population remain concerned about foreign control, even as Danish officials describe the deal as a way to ensure allies remain present in the Arctic.
What happens next involves the immediate commencement of development for the large military presence at the designated locations. While the agreement was signed on September 22, 2026, the specific timeline for construction and the exact number of additional personnel to be deployed were not reported. The deal includes a provision for Denmark and Greenland to review U.S. requests for further installations under "accelerated governmental approval procedures." Russia has already indicated it was not part of these discussions and stated that Arctic cooperation with the U.S. is currently not on the agenda.