WASHINGTON, September 19 — The United States has announced a new permanent security arrangement for Greenland that expands American military access to the island while leaving its territorial status unchanged, according to the administration. The arrangement builds on the 1951 Defense of Greenland Agreement between the United States and Denmark, which governs US military operations on the island. Signed on April 27, 1951, that pact itself rested on the 1941 Greenland Treaty, under which the United States established bases in Greenland during World War II.
It permits the US to maintain military facilities and personnel in Greenland for the defense of Greenland and the North Atlantic area, and requires Washington to consult with Denmark and Greenland on significant changes. It does not transfer sovereignty over Greenland to the United States.
What the new arrangement says
Greenland remains an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. According to the administration, the new arrangement does not alter that status. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Greenland will remain within North America’s strategic defense area and that adversaries will be excluded from Greenland and the surrounding region.
The arrangement is described as permanent. No formal treaty or congressional approval was mentioned, and the White House has not released the full text.
No specific troop numbers or timelines were announced. Danish and Greenlandic officials have not yet issued detailed public responses.
The strategic backdrop
The US military presence in Greenland forms part of NORAD’s early-warning network and supports NATO’s Arctic strategy. The 1951 agreement has been amended over time, including in 2004, when the two countries signed an agreement to modernize the Thule Air Base and upgrade radar facilities. The record shows a longer history of American interest in the island.
In 2019, President Trump’s proposal to purchase Greenland was rejected by Denmark and Greenland. In 2020, the United States opened a consulate in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, for the first time since 1953; the consulate had been closed in 1953 and reopened in 2020.
The US also provided economic aid to Greenland during World War II. The announcement comes amid heightened tensions with Russia and China in the Arctic. What to watch next is whether Washington releases the full text of the arrangement and whether Danish and Greenlandic officials move from silence to a formal response.
