US, Denmark and Greenland sign expanded Arctic defence agreement
The agreement allows additional US defence areas in Greenland while reaffirming Danish sovereignty and Greenland’s right to self-determination.
The United States, Denmark and Greenland have signed an agreement allowing Washington to establish additional defence areas at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and Mestersvig in the east.
The deal amends and updates the 1951 US–Denmark defence agreement. It also permits the modernisation and expansion of US activities at Pituffik Space Base, where more than 100 military personnel are permanently stationed.
The agreement does not confirm that two fully operational bases will be built immediately. Their scope, design, staffing, cost and timetable remain subject to further agreement between the parties.
It bars states outside Nato from establishing military installations or maintaining a persistent military presence in Greenland. The agreement also recognises that Greenland would remain in Nato if it became independent from Denmark.
The signing follows more than a year of tension after US President Donald Trump threatened to acquire or annex Greenland, citing national security, its Arctic position and mineral resources. The BBC reported that the agreement reaffirms Danish sovereignty and Greenland’s right to self-determination.
Narsarsuaq has deep-water access and a large runway, while Mestersvig is a remote outpost used by a Danish naval dog-sled unit. The agreement refers to the proposed “Golden Dome” defence system but contains no concrete project proposal.
