US, Denmark, Greenland Sign Deal Expanding Military Presence

The United States, Denmark, and Greenland have signed an enhanced security arrangement that allows the U.S. to expand its military presence on the Arctic island.

The agreement, signed on September 22, 2026, leaves Greenland under Danish sovereignty but establishes two new U.S. military bases and preserves the existing Pituffik Space Base, with an option to expand further. The deal aims to prevent adversaries from establishing footholds on the island and enhances the strategic security of the United States. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen praised the agreement for strengthening security.

The deal explicitly bars non-NATO military presence in Greenland without the sign-off of all three parties and highlights NATO's role in Arctic security. This arrangement largely reiterates the conditions of the 1951 defense agreement but grants the U.S. new authorities. Greenlandic MP Naaja Nathanielsen expressed relief but noted lingering skepticism among the local population due to past unrest.

The U.S. first built military bases in Greenland during World War II, maintaining 17 installations during the Cold War, with only Pituffik Space Base remaining today with approximately 150 personnel. Experts suggest the deal brings small changes after months of turmoil.