A New Deal Gives US Security Control in Greenland Forever

Shortly after taking office in January 2025, President Donald Trump made it clear that he believed the United States needed a heavier presence in Greenland. He saw the island’s strategic value in defending the Arctic. China and Russia have begun operating regularly above the Arctic Circle and have established their presence in many areas. Initially, President Trump spoke boldly about invading Greenland or otherwise owning the territory. These early plans, though, met pushback from Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emphatically asserted: “Greenland is not for sale.”

01Strategic History of Greenland

Since the late 1940s and the beginning of the Cold War, Greenland has held a uniquely strategic position in the US defense against first the Soviet Union until its fall and now Russia and China. On September 18, 2026, President Trump announced that an agreement had been signed with Greenland and Denmark, giving the United States unprecedented access to the island.

The president went on to observe that no adversary will be able to “EVER” establish a military presence or “make sensitive investments in Greenland” without US written approval. With the announcement, Trump also made clear that the US would begin immediately to develop “a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland.” From his point of view, the agreement will be in effect forever. He called it an “Infinite Life” agreement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained to Fox News Digital: “This historic deal is a huge win for the United States and the American people. Thanks to President Trump’s vision and leadership, this historic agreement permanently guarantees US security interests in the Arctic at zero cost to the US taxpayer.” Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenlanders are Danish citizens with Danish passports. But under this deal, the US will handle the island’s security. Despite her initial reluctance to embrace US control over Greenland early in the discussions, Prime Minister Frederiksen stated her satisfaction that the agreement “’recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity’ of the Kingdom of Denmark,” The New York Times reported.

02Why It Matters

The importance of this deal cannot be overstated. Having a military presence in Greenland gives us the ability to detect, identify, track, and destroy intercontinental ballistic missiles launched and coming over the North Pole horizon. Such an early warning capability is critical to the effectiveness of Golden Dome for America, the expansive US air defense initiative. Additionally, this agreement supports the US “America First” National Security Strategy. It shores up the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap, missile-warning corridors, and it gives us a better view of traffic on the sea through the Arctic, making it much easier to stop China or Russia if they try anything up there. 

Greenland also represents an opportunity to secure access to critically needed rare earth minerals. Again, according to Fox News: “Retreating Arctic ice is opening shipping lanes around the island that could shorten trade routes between North America, Europe and Asia. The changing landscape has also drawn attention to Greenland’s rare earth elements and other critical minerals used in technology, renewable energy and military systems.” Free and full access to the rare earth elements would reduce US dependence on China and others for the minerals. Some companies are getting a jumpstart on the agreement. According to the New York Post: “On Sept. 1, Greenland Mines…a US-aligned firm headquartered in North Carolina, closed a deal for the Sarfartoq Rare Earths Project in southwest Greenland. The company announced that it planned to produce NdPr oxide – a compound of neodymium and praseodymium used in the manufacturing of magnets for EVs and wind turbines, as well as defense capabilities.”

Specific details of the agreement have yet to be published; it is to be signed on the sidelines of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City, which begins Tuesday, Sept. 22. The agreement is the culmination of months of acrimonious negotiations. However, it appears that the US has achieved the strategic control over Greenland that it wanted from the beginning. 

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