US and Denmark reach deal on Greenland, Trump says

By Gram Slattery, Erin Banco, Jacob Grønholt-Pedersen and Stine Jacobsen

September 18, 202610:13 PM GMT+1Updated 10 hours ago

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EXTENT OF AGREEMENT REMAINS UNCLEAR

The Danish prime minister’s office said on Friday that the agreement would strengthen North Atlantic and Arctic security.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said in a ‌statement that ⁠the agreement recognized Greenland’s interests and the Arctic island’s place in international cooperation. “This benefits us all,” he said.

Much was unclear as of Friday night, including whether any new US bases would be constructed as a result of the agreement. Trump’s Truth Social posts about negotiations or agreements often lack context or specifics.

Imran Bayoumi, a former Pentagon official now with the Atlantic Council think tank, said it would be new if the US can build bases without the approval of ​Greenland or Denmark but that largely “it seems ​that Washington could have achieved ⁠a lot of these objectives through diplomacy and dialogue without straining the broader US-NATO relationship.”

It was also unclear how the agreement would be received in Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. The island’s residents aspire to independence and have bristled at ​US attempts to assert control.

In a separate statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the deal “permanently ​and completely” addressed Washington’s ⁠national security concerns with respect to the island.

“Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area,” he wrote.

A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss specific terms, said the deal prohibits non-NATO countries from building a base in ⁠Greenland and will ​allow only the US and its allies to make unspecified “sensitive investments.” The official said the ​agreement grants the US permanent access, basing and overflight rights, and would continue to apply even if Greenland becomes independent.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-denmark-close-greenland-deal-sources-say-2026-09-18/