President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States, Denmark and Greenland have reached an agreement that would expand the U.S. military presence on the Arctic island and prevent American adversaries such as Russia and China from establishing bases or making sensitive investments there.
Trump said the agreement gives Washington permanent control over Greenland's security needs and has no expiration date, describing it as an “Infinite Life” agreement. He said the United States would soon begin building up a larger military presence on the strategically important island.
“I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has entered into an Agreement with The Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland, that gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He added that no U.S. adversary would be allowed to establish a base, deploy a military presence or make sensitive investments in Greenland without Washington's written approval.
The announcement came after Reuters reported Friday that Washington and Copenhagen were nearing an agreement to strengthen the U.S. military presence in Greenland.
The arrangement appears to fall short of Trump's earlier calls for the United States to acquire the territory, a proposal that has repeatedly strained relations with NATO ally Denmark.
The exact terms of the agreement remained unclear Friday night.
A senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the deal, said the agreement would prevent non-NATO countries from establishing military bases in Greenland and would restrict sensitive investments. The official said Washington would retain permanent access, basing and overflight rights, including if Greenland eventually becomes independent from Denmark.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agreement “permanently and completely” addresses Washington's national security concerns over Greenland.
“Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area,” Rubio said.
The Danish prime minister's office said the agreement would strengthen security in the North Atlantic and Arctic while preserving Denmark's sovereignty.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the arrangement recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark as well as Greenland's right to self-determination.
“I am pleased that there is a prospect of a good agreement for Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States,” Frederiksen said, adding that it was also good for NATO and Europe.
Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the agreement recognized the territory's interests and its place in international cooperation while strengthening its security.
The uncertainty surrounding the agreement is particularly significant in Greenland, whose population of about 57,000 has long sought greater autonomy and independence from Denmark. Greenlanders have also strongly resisted Trump's repeated suggestions that the United States should take control of the island.
Trump's push for control of Greenland intensified after he returned to the White House in January 2025. He has argued that the territory is vital to U.S. national security and has repeatedly cited concerns over growing Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic.
The dispute alarmed Denmark and created tensions within NATO, particularly after Trump declined to rule out using force to obtain control of Greenland.
The new agreement could mark a shift toward a security arrangement rather than territorial acquisition.
The United States already enjoys extensive military rights in Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement with Denmark, which was updated in 2004. The pact gives Washington broad rights to deploy forces and establish military facilities, subject to notification and other provisions.
The U.S. currently operates Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland, a strategically important installation used for missile warning, space surveillance and other military missions.
Several reports have said Washington is seeking to establish as many as three additional military facilities in southern Greenland, although Trump and Danish officials did not confirm Friday whether the new agreement would result in additional bases.
Imran Bayoumi, a former Pentagon official now with the Atlantic Council, said it would represent a significant development if Washington gained the ability to establish bases without approval from Greenland or Denmark.
He also said many of the U.S. security objectives appeared achievable through diplomacy without placing additional strain on relations between Washington and its NATO allies.
The deal is expected to be formally signed on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York next week.
It remained unclear whether the agreement is connected to a separate understanding Trump said he reached with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January. The details of that arrangement have never been fully disclosed.
As negotiations continued, NATO launched a new mission aimed at strengthening security in the Arctic, an apparent effort to address growing concerns over the region's strategic importance.
