Trump secures permanent US military rights in Greenland as historic deal bars China and Russia from Arctic bases
From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026 · last updated 20 September 2026.
Danish MEP Henrik Dahl quipped Trump deserved credit "for something very close to the status quo," as Copenhagen ridiculed the deal as a continuation of 1951 arrangements.Trump announced Friday that the US had secured "permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland" — a framing both Copenhagen and Nuuk swiftly rejected.Denmark will not bear any cost under the deal, Trump says, as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed the agreement will be signed at the UN General Assembly next week.
The US and Denmark have struck a sweeping security agreement giving America permanent basing, access and overflight rights in Greenland, with no expiration date and at no cost to the US taxpayer. The deal, announced by President Trump on Truth Social, bars China, Russia and other non-NATO nations from establishing military bases or making sensitive investments in the Arctic territory without Washington's express approval. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it 'a huge win for the United States'. The agreement is expected to be formally signed at the UN General Assembly in New York next week.
Retired US Marine Col. Grant Newsham compared the deal to America's purchase of Alaska in 1867, saying Russia and China 'can't get in there militarily, and they cannot get in economically.'
Denmark and Greenland insist their sovereignty remains intact, with Danish PM Mette Frederiksen stressing the deal recognises 'the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom' — a direct tension with Trump's claim of 'permanent control.'
A former Greenland MP, Tillie Martinussen, voiced outright scepticism, saying bluntly: 'We don't trust Donald Trump.'
