Trump Claims US Secures 'Permanent Control' Over Greenland Security in New Deal With Denmark

United States President Donald Trump has announced that the US has reached a tentative agreement with Denmark granting it permanent control over Greenland’s security and related needs. This development follows previous threats from the US president to seize the self-governing Arctic territory, which remains a part of Denmark, a move that previously caused friction within the NATO alliance.

According to Denmark, the formal agreement is scheduled to be signed during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, though it will still require ratification from both the Danish and Greenland parliaments. Copenhagen has explicitly maintained that it retains full sovereignty over Greenland.

While the official text is pending release, President Trump stated that the pact provides the US with permanent security control at no financial cost, while barring adversaries from establishing military footprints or making sensitive investments without US consent. A US Department of State official speaking to the BBC clarified that this restriction specifically targets non-NATO nations like China and Russia.

However, Mikkel Olesen of the Danish Institute for International Studies noted that the restriction may not represent a massive concession, as neither Denmark nor Greenland intended to permit Russian or Chinese bases anyway. Trump has labeled the arrangement an Infinite Life Agreement, and the State Department official indicated it would grant the US rights to build additional military installations unilaterally while remaining active even if Greenland pursues future independence.

Although the text does not explicitly detail potential mining rights for rare-earth minerals like zinc, iron, uranium, and graphite, analysts suggest these resources may fall under the umbrella of sensitive investments. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen both welcomed the framework, emphasizing that it respects local interests and bolsters collective security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, while avoiding actual annexation.