U.S., Denmark, Greenland Sign “Forever” Arctic Security Deal

President Donald Trump signed a security agreement with Denmark and Greenland on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to the BBC [1]. The pact, which Trump described as giving the United States “permanent control over security, and all other needs” in Greenland, expands the U.S. military footprint on the semi-autonomous Danish territory and ends a months-long diplomatic standoff, according to a Truth Social post reported by NaturalNews.com [2].

“We will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations,” Trump said, according to remarks reported by the BBC [1] and RT [3]. “We’ll be building two very major military bases.” Trump also stated that “no U.S. adversary will ever be permitted to establish a military presence in Greenland any more, or make sensitive investments there without our express written approval,” according to RT [3].

A State Department official told NBC News that the arrangement guarantees the U.S. “the complete ability to do what it deems is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the American continent, including permanent access, basing, and overflight rights,” as reported by NaturalNews.com [2]. The full text of the accord, officially called the Arctic Security Agreement, was not immediately released, according to the Danish prime minister’s office [4].

Terms of the Arctic Security Agreement

The agreement authorizes Washington to “modernize and expand” operations at Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland and to open new defense areas at Narsarsuaq in the south and Mestersvig in the east, according to RT [5] and 100PercentFedUp [6]. Additional sites beyond those three are also permitted under the text, the reports stated.

Countries outside NATO are barred from building manned or unmanned military installations on the island or maintaining a persistent military presence there without the consent of all three signatories, according to RT [5]. Investors from beyond NATO, its partner countries, and the European Union are likewise blocked from gaining control of or significant influence over sensitive sectors in Greenland, RT reported [5].

The deal has no expiry date, and should Greenland choose independence from Denmark, it would remain in NATO and inherit Denmark’s rights and obligations under the accord, according to a State Department official cited by NaturalNews.com [2] and an analysis published by BrightLearn.ai [7]. Greenland’s government and residents have long opposed outside control of the island’s affairs, dating back to past U.S. attempts to purchase it, as documented by Jessica Shadian in “The Politics of Arctic Sovereignty” [8].

Reactions from Denmark, Greenland, and U.S. Officials

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the agreement a “deal that can last forever” and said it was “good for the U.S., Denmark and Greenland” and also for Europe, according to the BBC [1]. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen characterized it as “a win-win-win agreement,” the BBC reported [1]. Frederiksen had previously stated that “we are ready to defend every inch of NATO, including our own territory,” according to remarks reported by The Epoch Times [9].

Trump first unveiled the deal on Sept. 18 in a social media post, saying it addressed “ALL of our many U.S. concerns,” according to reports by NaturalNews.com [4] and Antiwar.com [10]. Trump had initially sought to buy Greenland outright during both of his terms in office, but Denmark and Greenland rejected that proposal, Just the News reported [11].

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Sept. 19 that the agreement would lead to a better outcome in the region, according to The Epoch Times [12]. No immediate comment from NATO or other parties was included in the reports.

Background: Years of U.S. Push and NATO Tensions

The accord caps years of Trump’s effort to acquire Greenland, which he has sought since at least 2019, and months of pressure on Denmark, a NATO ally. U.S. military access to the island stems from a 1951 NATO-era defense agreement with Denmark, which permitted bases such as Thule, according to NaturalNews.com [13].

Trump had vowed that “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland,” claiming Washington needed the island to prevent Russia or China from taking it first, NaturalNews.com reported [14]. His designs plunged NATO into a diplomatic crisis in January, with Frederiksen warning that a U.S. takeover would spell the end of the alliance, according to RT [15]. Trump did not rule out military or economic force in earlier statements, RT reported [16].

Tensions escalated further in January and July 2026, when Trump threatened escalating tariffs on eight NATO allies, including Denmark, to pressure a deal, according to NaturalNews.com [17] and a report on the Davos World Economic Forum [18]. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told U.S. Special Envoy Jeff Landry in May that Greenland’s right to self-determination “cannot be negotiated” and that Greenlanders “are not for sale,” according to 100PercentFedUp [19].

Conclusion: Strategic and Economic Context

Greenland holds a strategic Arctic position between North America and Europe and sits on vast untapped reserves of rare earth minerals, control of which could help Washington reduce China’s dominance of the market, according to RT [5]. The agreement bars non-NATO military installations and sensitive investments without tripartite consent, formalizing U.S. security and economic primacy on the island, RT reported [5].

The deal’s open-ended duration and Greenland’s potential future NATO membership add long-term structural implications, officials said [2]. As documented by Jessica Shadian in “The Politics of Arctic Sovereignty,” increased self-autonomy for Greenland would require assurances relating to security, education, and a new partnership with the EU, along with a secure plan for the island’s long-term financial viability [8].

The accord caps Trump’s annexation push while expanding the U.S. military foothold in the Arctic, according to the reports. The agreement’s full text remained unreleased as of Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, leaving key questions about implementation and enforcement unresolved, according to the Danish prime minister’s office [4].

References

1. BBC. “US to build two military bases in Greenland under new deal with Denmark”. September 22, 2026.
2. NaturalNews.com. “Trump Announces Greenland Security Agreement With Denmark; Text Not Released”. September 22, 2026.
3. “Trump makes major Greenland military announcement”. September 22, 2026.
4. NaturalNews.com. “U.S., Greenland, Denmark Announce Security Agreement; Trump Plans Large Military Presence”. September 21, 2026.
5. “US set for major military expansion in Greenland – Reuters”. September 22, 2026.
6. 100PercentFedUp. “President Trump Just Locked Down America’s Arctic Flank Without Buying Greenland”. 100PercentFedUp. September 22, 2026.
7. BrightLearn.ai. “2026 New Planned U.S.–Denmark–Greenland Security Agreement”. September 21, 2026.
8. Jessica Shadian. “The Politics of Arctic Sovereignty”.
9. The Epoch Times. “Danish Prime Minister Says Greenland ‘Not for Sale’ as Trump Pushes for US Control”. July 8, 2026.
10. Antiwar.com. “Trump Announces the US Reached ‘Security’ Deal With Greenland And Denmark”. September 21, 2026.
11. Just the News. “Trump signs security deal with Greenland, Denmark”. September 22, 2026.
12. The Epoch Times. “Denmark Confirms Trump-Greenland Deal Would Boost Arctic Security”. September 21, 2026.
13. NaturalNews.com. “Greenlands strategic tensions A tug of war over sovereignty strategy and alliance”. April 17, 2025.
14. NaturalNews.com. “The great Arctic heist How a false flag over Greenland could trigger NATOs collapse and fulfill a long held expa”. January 9, 2026.
15. Just the News. “NATO long warned of Russian, Chinese threats to Greenland, now rejects Trump’s ownership solution”. January 15, 2026.
16. “Von der Leyen pushes back against Trump over Greenland”. September 7, 2026.
17. NaturalNews.com. “Trump CANCELS planned tariffs on NATO allies after progress on Greenland deal”. January 24, 2026.
18. NaturalNews.com. “A cold war over a cold land Trumps Greenland gambit roils Davos”. January 22, 2026.
19. 100PercentFedUp. “Greenland Prime Minister Tells President Trump’s Envoy Jeff Landry That Self-Determination Is ‘Not for Negotiation’”. May 18, 2026.

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