The United States, Denmark and Greenland have entered into an agreement for the U.S. to develop a significant military presence on Greenland, while prohibiting U.S. adversaries from building their own bases on the island, Donald Trump said on Friday.
In a Truth Social post, the U.S. president wrote that no U.S. enemies would be able to make sensitive investments on the island without the approval of the United States and that the agreement had no expiry date.
“At my direction, we worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the security of Greenland, and the United States of America,” Trump wrote.
“Additionally, 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.”
Earlier on Friday, Reuters exclusively reported that the U.S. and Greenland were closing in on a deal for the island that would result in an increased U.S. military presence, but would stop well short of Trump’s long-held dream of acquiring the island for the United States.
Trump’s Friday announcement suggests he was nonetheless pleased with the outcome of the negotiations, and that he may not revive his territorial claims, at least in the near future. He said, without elaborating, that the US would soon be rolling out a large military presence on the island, which already hosts one Space Force base in its remote northwest.
“This is a dream come true for the United States of America,” Trump wrote.
Who owns Greenland? All of us, and none of us, Inuit say
The Danish prime minister’s office said on Friday that the agreement would strengthen North Atlantic and Arctic security.
Much was unclear as of Friday night, including whether any new U.S. bases would be constructed as a result of the agreement. Trump’s Truth Social posts about negotiations or agreements often lack context or specifics.
The U.S. already has nearly total overflight and basing rights in Greenland due to a 1951 treaty.
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 U.S. attempts to assert hegemony.
In a separate statement, U.S. 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 U.S. and its allies to make unspecified “sensitive investments.” The official said the agreement grants the U.S. permanent access, basing and overflight rights, and would continue to apply even if Greenland becomes independent.