The United States signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland in September to establish a more robust U.S. military presence in Greenland with exclusive “permanent basing rights,” strengthening Arctic and North Atlantic security.
“This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody,” said President Donald J. Trump before the agreement was signed on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22. “And for Greenland, it’s going to be incredible.”
Officials from the U.S., Greenland and Denmark negotiated for months before a deal was reached. About two-thirds of Greenland lies within the Arctic Circle, where melting sea ice has opened new shipping routes and intensified tensions with Russia and the Chinese Communist Party.
The U.S. military played a prominent role in Greenland for decades but, since the end of World War II in 1945, the U.S. military presence there has decreased from thousands of Soldiers on 17 bases and installations to about 200 Soldiers at the secluded Pituffik Space Base, 1,200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle and the northernmost installation belonging to the U.S. Department of War (DOW). Pituffik supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance for the U.S. and NATO.
Addressing the U.N. General Assembly before the signing, Trump said the U.S. would “immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations,” including “building two very major military bases.” The agreement also allows Washington to “modernize and expand” its activities at Pituffik.
The accord says the U.S. can set up “defense areas” at Narsarsuaq in the south and Mestersvig in the east, and that it “may establish additional defense areas in Greenland and strengthen its military operations or facilities.” Washington will award contracts for building and maintaining the bases “to Greenlandic sources to the maximum extent possible.”
The deal calls for expansive U.S. military mobility in Greenland, including “undersea access.” It says Greenland, Denmark and the U.S. share an interest in allowing the U.S. military access to Greenland to defend NATO territory, Greenland itself and North America — including with the Golden Dome, Trump’s planned missile defense system.
Under the accord, no non-NATO country can set up “its own manned or unmanned military installations in Greenland,” or have a “persistent” military presence unless the signatories agree. The deal “does not have an end date” and, if Greenland chooses to become independent, it will agree to remain in NATO and take on Denmark’s rights and obligations under the deal.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the agreement a “deal that can last forever” — good for the U.S., Greenland, Denmark and the NATO alliance. “Mr. President, you have been very clear: You don’t want adversaries to come too close,” she said. “I fully agree.”
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenland’s prime minister, called it “a win-win-win agreement. … Your security is our security, and our security is your security.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte celebrated the accord’s signing, writing on X: “We know the threats we face, and greater security in the Arctic and North Atlantic is essential for Europe and North America alike. This agreement, along with NATO’s growing role in securing this vital region, enhances our collective security and supports a safer and more stable future for us all.”
The DOW announced the transfer of Greenland to the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR) in June 2025. “The addition of Greenland to the USNORTHCOM AOR allows both NORAD and USNORTHCOM to execute seamless defensive operations throughout the North American Arctic in close cooperation with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command [now U.S. Pacific Command], U.S. European Command, and with key military partners in the Kingdom of Denmark and Canada,” Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, commander of USNORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), testified before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee in March 2026.
“As a necessary element of sustained joint operations in the Arctic, USNORTHCOM and NORAD remain focused on infrastructure improvements in Alaska, Canada and Greenland that will enhance the operational flexibility and capability necessary to train, fight and win in the High North,” Guillot said. “The addition of Greenland to the USNORTHCOM AOR has already fostered remarkable cooperation and integration with military partners from the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland.”