US and Denmark sign historic pact for military base in Greenland

In a move set to change the security calculus of the Arctic, one of the world's most strategically sensitive regions, US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen have signed a historic trilateral defence agreement. The new pact replaces the older defence agreement between Washington and Copenhagen from 1951 and updates it to address present-day challenges.

Speaking at a press conference after the signing, Trump expressed his happiness. He called the agreement the result of years of effort, saying attempts to get it signed had been going on for years and had now finally succeeded. According to Trump, the agreement would prove highly beneficial for the United States, Europe and Greenland alike. He said, "Our mutual relations will be even better and safer."

Danish PM Mette Frederiksen also welcomed the agreement, calling it a golden milestone in the long-standing cooperation with the United States. She said that 75 years ago, in 1951, an agreement had been signed for Greenland's security, but today's updated pact is far stronger, broader and more durable. Frederiksen said this agreement would significantly strengthen security and deterrence in the Arctic region, preventing any hostile country or outside power from gaining a foothold on Greenland's territory.

The most significant aspect of the agreement is that it fully preserves Greenland's autonomy and sovereignty. Frederiksen made clear that the agreement leaves untouched the territorial integrity of the Danish state and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination. Full care has been taken to ensure that no outside country can directly take control of Greenland. At the same time, the presence of Western allied nations in the Arctic region will continue, so that the potential influence of countries like Russia and China can be checked in time. The Danish PM said this agreement is a major step in strengthening NATO.

Greenland's PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen called it "the start of a new era for Greenland." He said the old 1951 agreement has now been updated to deal with the modern challenges of 2026, and that this agreement is not just about Greenland but has been made directly with the people of Greenland, taking serious account of local people's rights, their livelihoods and the country's sustainable development.

Greenland played an important role in international security during World War II and the Cold War. Today, as competition among major powers has intensified over the Arctic region's natural resources and sea routes, Greenland has once again affirmed its commitment to the Western alliance and NATO. At the press conference, when Trump was asked about the question of ownership of Greenland, he avoided a direct answer, saying, "I like the people of Greenland very much, and the leadership there is doing a very good job."