Greenland, Denmark and the United States have signed a new agreement aimed at strengthening defence and security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and US President Donald Trump signed the agreement at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
The agreement updates and expands the defence arrangements between Denmark and the United States dating back to 1951.
It also formally recognises that the people of Greenland have a right to self-determination under international law, while reaffirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Mr Nielsen said the agreement recognised Greenland as a people with the right to self-determination, while also recognising its role in the shared security of the Arctic.
Ms Frederiksen said the agreement strengthened the common defence and security of Greenland, Denmark, the United States, NATO and Europe.
Expanded US military access
Under the agreement, the US will be allowed to modernise and expand its activities at Pituffik Space Base.
It will also be allowed to establish additional defence areas at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, subject to agreements on the technical details with Denmark and Greenland. Further defence areas could be established in Greenland following consultations between the parties.
The agreement gives US military aircraft, vessels and forces broad rights of access and movement between defence areas in Greenland. US aircraft will also be able to fly over and land in Greenland, while US public vessels will have access to Greenland’s territorial waters under the terms of the agreement.
The parties have also agreed to strengthen NATO’s engagement in the Arctic, including through planning, military presence, exercises and joint intelligence gathering.
The agreement states that military access must be exercised with respect for Greenlandic society and its way of life, including hunting, fishing and other traditional and cultural activities.
No end date
The agreement also restricts non-NATO states from establishing their own military installations or maintaining a persistent military presence in Greenland unless the parties agree otherwise. It places additional restrictions on investment and activities by states or investors from outside NATO, NATO partner countries and the European Union in sensitive sectors where national security or public order could be affected.
The agreement has no end date and can only be amended by mutual consent.
It also sets out arrangements in the event that Greenland becomes independent. In that case, Greenland would be expected to remain in NATO and assume the rights and obligations currently covered by the agreement.
The agreement was concluded in New York on 22 September 2026 in Danish, Greenlandic and English. The English-language version will prevail if there is any ambiguity or conflict between the versions.
It will enter into force after the necessary parliamentary procedures have been completed and the required diplomatic notification has been made.