‘Permanent control’: Trump says U.S. has struck Greenland deal after months of takeover threats

President Donald Trump has spent much of his second term pushing for control over Greenland, and he now says he has it. Trump posted on X on Friday that a deal with Denmark and Greenland gives Washington “permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland.” He said the U.S. is now developing a “large Military presence” there.

Trump added that no U.S. adversary can ever have a base in Greenland or make sensitive investments there without Washington’s “express written approval.” According to Fox News, a senior U.S. official said the Greenland deal bars non-NATO countries such as China and Russia from setting up military bases or keeping troops on the island.

The Danish Prime Minister’s Office said the three governments are expected to sign the agreement at the UN General Assembly next week. However, it must still clear national parliamentary procedures in Denmark and Greenland before entering into force. For now, the Greenland deal is a politically agreed framework rather than a document with legal effect.

The U.S. already had broad military access to Greenland long before this deal

The U.S. has kept a military footprint in Greenland since the early Cold War under a 1951 defense agreement. Pituffik Space Base is the U.S. military’s northernmost installation and supports missile warning and space surveillance. As it sits on one of the shortest potential trajectories between Russia and North America, the base is key to monitoring the Arctic.

Tension ramped up as Trump argued that standard military access wasn’t enough to counter Russia and China. He called on Denmark to sell the island, refused to rule out military force, and issued tariff threats over Greenland against European allies. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen answered that Greenland is not for sale.

The arrangement looks like a compromise that gives Washington long-term guarantees while Denmark keeps its sovereignty. The senior official said only the U.S. and its allies could invest in sensitive sectors there, including ports and undersea cables. The list also covers critical minerals, which matters as Greenland holds large rare earth deposits used in batteries and defense equipment.

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark with its own parliament and government. The 2009 Self-Government Act recognizes Greenlanders’ right to self-determination and outlines a legal path to full independence. The official said the Greenland deal is designed to remain in effect even if Greenland eventually becomes an independent country.

Washington’s language goes further than anything coming from Copenhagen. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a “historic deal” and said Greenland will “forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America.” However, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the agreement “recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom” and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.

Nielsen said the Greenland deal strengthens the island’s security and recognizes its interests. Until the full text is public, “permanent control” is best treated as Trump’s characterization rather than a settled change in Greenland’s constitutional status.

The three governments are expected to sign at the UN General Assembly next week, and the final wording should show whether the Greenland deal shifts legal authority or extends a long-standing defense relationship.