Denmark, Greenland affirm US deal will not cede sovereignty

The US, Denmark, and Greenland have struck a trilateral security deal that gives Washington permanent military access to the world’s largest island without transferring a single square mile of territory. The agreement, announced on September 18, 2026, threads a diplomatic needle that has been wobbling since President Trump first floated the idea of acquiring Greenland years ago. What the deal actually says The agreement grants the United States permanent rights to access, base military assets on, and overfly Greenland. Those rights would persist even if Greenland, which has been self-governing since 2009, eventually becomes fully independent from Denmark. It also includes a prohibition on non-NATO countries establishing military bases or maintaining any military presence on the island. That clause is aimed squarely at Russia and China, both of which have been expanding their Arctic ambitions as melting ice opens new shipping lanes and exposes deposits of critical minerals. The deal goes beyond pure defense. It contains provisions for screening foreign investments by adversarial nations, adding an economic security layer on top of the military framework. The arrangement updates and ...