Trump Announces Deal for ‘Permanent Control’ Over Greenland’s Security

Trump Announces Security Deal With Denmark and Greenland

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World Brief: Trump Announces Deal for ‘Permanent Control’ Over Greenland’s Security

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Trump Announces Deal for ‘Permanent Control’ Over Greenland’s Security

What will the agreement mean for NATO?

By **Maxine Davey**, an editorial fellow at *Foreign Policy*, and **Maya Krainc**, an editorial fellow at *Foreign Policy*.

!JD Vance and Usha Vance wear parkas and stand with military personnel in an icy field.

*JD Vance and Usha Vance wear parkas and stand with military personnel in an icy field.*

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and second lady Usha Vance stand with Col. Susan Meyers, the commander of the Pituffik Space Base, as they tour the base in Pituffik, Greenland, on March 28, 2025. Jim Watson/Getty Images

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September 21, 2026, 6:23 PM

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a deal involving the **United States**, **Denmark**, and **Greenland**; **Ukraine**’s “largest-ever” attack on **Moscow**; and an armed rebel alliance against **Ethiopian** Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

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Greenland Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had reached a deal with Denmark and Greenland giving the United States “permanent control over security” in Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. Trump said the United States would immediately begin “developing a large Military presence” on the island, which has strategic importance for Arctic security.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a deal involving the **United States**, **Denmark**, and **Greenland**; **Ukraine**’s “largest-ever” attack on **Moscow**; and an armed rebel alliance against **Ethiopian** Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

Sign up to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday.

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Greenland Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had reached a deal with Denmark and Greenland giving the United States “permanent control over security” in Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. Trump said the United States would immediately begin “developing a large Military presence” on the island, which has strategic importance for Arctic security.

Trump said the agreement satisfies Washington’s key demands, but it is unclear how much the deal differs from the rights the United States already holds to operate on the island. The United States has operated a military base—now the Pituffik Space Base—in Greenland since the United States and Denmark first signed a defense treaty in 1951.

The deal follows months of diplomatic scuffles between Trump and European leaders since the U.S. president threatened to “take” Greenland in January, triggering a crisis within NATO and deepening the loss of trust in the trans-Atlantic relationship. After previously refusing to rule out using military force to seize the island, Trump finally insisted that he wouldn’t “use force” in a Jan. 21 speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he also said he had established the “framework of a future deal” with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

In his Friday announcement, Trump said that “from now on, no U.S. adversary can EVER have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written approval.” This could give the United States virtually unilateral control over Greenland’s vast critical minerals and rare-earth supply—although the island’s harsh climate, limited mining infrastructure, and local opposition could make it difficult to reach speedy deals. Regardless, Greenland-linked rare-earth stocks surged Monday.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen expressed their support for the deal in a Friday press release, highlighting its recognition of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Greenland and its people. The agreement “strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic Area and therefore is great for NATO and Europe as well,” Frederiksen said.

Despite Trump’s claims that the agreement would give the United States permanent control of the island’s security, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told national broadcaster TV2 on Sunday that, to a large extent, “it would be NATO that looks ​after the Arctic.” That difference in perspective—and the broader issue of Arctic security itself—will likely be a hot topic as world leaders convene in New York City this week for the United Nations General Assembly, where Denmark, Greenland, and the United ​States are expected to sign the deal on Tuesday.

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**The World This Week**

**Tuesday, Sept. 22:** The U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) general debate opens, with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron set to speak, among others.

Trump meets with Gulf leaders to discuss the Iran war on the sidelines of UNGA, in addition to meetings with world leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez.

**Wednesday, Sept. 23:** The U.N. general debate continues; speakers include Iranian Pres