U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of Denmark and Greenland have signed an agreement defining the Arctic island’s status, following months of threats from Trump to take control of the semiautonomous territory, which belongs to a NATO ally.
The agreement was formally signed Tuesday in New York after months of discreet negotiations involving American, Danish and Greenlandic officials. Their discussions focused on addressing Washington’s security concerns in the Arctic while easing fears in Copenhagen and Nuuk that the United States could attempt to take over Greenland.
All three sides welcomed the agreement at the signing ceremony. But what does the deal actually establish?
The United States can expand its military presence on the island
Under the agreement, Washington may “modernize and expand” its operations at Pituffik Space Base, the remote U.S. military facility in northwestern Greenland.
The United States may also establish “defense areas” at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and Mestersvig in the east. The accord further permits additional defense areas and expanded American military activity or infrastructure elsewhere on the island.
The deal points to a shifting security landscape in the Arctic
The accord grants broad U.S. military mobility across Greenland, including access beneath the surrounding waters. It says the Arctic’s security environment is changing and that greater efforts will be needed to protect the region in the years ahead.
The agreement underlines Denmark’s territorial integrity and Greenland’s right to choose its own future
The text reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark while recognizing Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.
The accord calls for a larger NATO role in the Arctic
All three parties endorse increased NATO involvement in the Arctic, including cooperation on military planning, regional deployments, exercises and the collection of intelligence.
The agreement also authorizes U.S. forces to use Greenland in defense of NATO territory, the island itself and North America. That mission could include support for a proposed “Golden Dome defense system.”
Non-NATO nations will be barred from establishing military facilities
The agreement prohibits any country outside NATO from creating manned or unmanned military installations in Greenland or maintaining a continuing military presence there.
The signatories promise to protect Greenland’s environment and traditional way of life
The preamble acknowledges the importance of safeguarding Greenland’s largely untouched environment. It also recognizes the economic, social and cultural rights of Greenland’s people, including their connection to the land and their traditions of hunting, fishing and other cultural and historical activities.
The agreement lays out provisions for a future independent Greenland
The accord has no expiration date. If Greenland eventually becomes independent from Denmark, it would remain in NATO and assume Denmark’s rights and responsibilities under the agreement.
The agreement still requires parliamentary approval
The deal will only “enter into force” once the “necessary parliamentary processes of the Kingdom of Denmark, in conjunction with Greenland, have been completed.”
