Denmark's government on Saturday cautiously welcomed US President Donald Trump's announcement of an agreement on Greenland that would expand the US military presence on the Arctic island while keeping it under Danish control.
The announcement follows months of threats by Trump to take control of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and a NATO ally.
Greenland's top diplomat also welcomed the development, saying the agreement had been a long time coming.
Trump said Friday that the deal would give the United States “permanent control over security” and address its security concerns in Greenland.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's office later said the agreement would be signed by the US, Denmark and Greenland next week during the United Nations General Assembly. However, it still requires approval by the Danish and Greenlandic parliaments before it can take effect.
“Next week could be a good week … for Greenland, Denmark, and the United States alike,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen wrote on Instagram.
He said the agreement could replace a period of uncertainty with a binding arrangement that strengthens security in the Arctic and North Atlantic while respecting Denmark's and Greenland's red lines.
Greenland Foreign Minister Múte B. Egede said he was pleased that an agreement was now within reach.
“It has taken some time,” he told Danish broadcaster TV2. “I'm pleased that we finally have an end product within reach. And it's about time.”
Trump said the United States would immediately begin expanding its military presence in Greenland, which is rich in mineral resources.
The US maintained several military bases and installations on the island during the Cold War but later reduced its presence. It still operates the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, which supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the US and NATO.
Few details of the new agreement have been made public. A US State Department official said it would prohibit non-NATO military bases in Greenland, restrict investments by potential adversaries and prevent China and Russia from establishing bases there. The official spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
US, Danish and Greenlandic officials had been holding quiet negotiations for months to address Trump's security concerns about Greenland, which has about 56,000 residents.
After returning to the White House, Trump repeatedly urged Denmark to sell Greenland to the US and said the territory was important to American security. He also refused to rule out using military force to take control of the island.
Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly said Greenland is not for sale and rejected reports that the US had been gathering intelligence there. Russia and several European countries also strongly opposed the US push for Greenland.
Greenland pro-sovereignty activist Orla Joelsen said on X that the fight against Trump's plan to take over Greenland had been won.
The new agreement, the activist said, explicitly recognizes Denmark's sovereignty and territorial integrity and the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination.