Overview
- The announcement, which came Friday, September 18, was made by President Donald Trump who said the three governments had reached an agreement giving the United States a permanent role to guarantee Greenland's security and to expand U.S. military access.
- Copenhagen and Nuuk issued a joint statement saying the pact still must be formally signed and cleared by the Danish and Greenlandic parliaments and that Greenland's sovereignty and right to self‑determination will be respected.
- U.S. officials described the deal as barring adversary powers from bases, military presence or sensitive investments in Greenland without Washington's approval and said work to expand U.S. infrastructure would begin immediately.
- Critically, no full treaty text has been published, so key legal questions remain unresolved, including what 'permanent control' actually means, how basing and access rights will be defined, and what mechanisms will limit third‑party activity.
- The announcement revives long‑running strategic competition over the Arctic by focusing attention on U.S. rights around the existing Pituffik (Thule) site, possible new bases, and the political tests ahead as parliaments review the agreement.