U.S., Denmark and Greenland sign Arctic security agreement

President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen signed an agreement Tuesday to strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic while Greenland remains under Danish control.

Signed at United Nations headquarters in New York during the General Assembly, the pact allows an expanded U.S. military presence in Greenland. Trump said the United States would begin developing a larger presence at designated locations, including two major bases. USA Today reported that the agreement largely affirms access Washington already possessed, while ABC News said it paves the way for additional U.S. bases. The pact would continue to apply if Greenland later chooses independence.

The agreement still requires approval through procedures in Greenland’s Inatsisartut and Denmark’s Folketing before taking effect. It has received broad support from Danish political parties, whose leaders said it preserves Danish sovereignty and reinforces NATO’s role. Al Jazeera reported that Greenland’s delegation received a hero’s welcome after returning home.

The deal follows months of negotiations and tensions caused by Trump’s repeated calls for the United States to acquire Greenland, including threats to seize the semiautonomous territory. Trump did not answer Tuesday when asked whether U.S. acquisition was now off the table.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas welcomed the agreement as beneficial for Arctic security but told USA Today that Trump’s threats had damaged trust between the United States and Europe, arguing that the same outcome could have been reached through friendly negotiations.