Denmark, Greenland and the United States signed an agreement on Arctic defense and security in New York on September 22, 2026, closing months of tension over Greenland.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenlandic government leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen and US President Donald Trump put their names to the deal at a ceremony in New York. DR reports that the signing came with fanfares, flags and music, and that it marks a provisional end to the crisis between Copenhagen, Nuuk and Washington.
In its political brief published September 24, DR asked who gained most from the agreement. Two former government advisers, Jacob Bruun and Thomas Juul-Dam, pointed first to the Danish diplomats who negotiated the text in the so-called high level working group.
Per DR, Bruun singled out the Danish ambassador to the United States and Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen, a former EU ambassador and secretary-general of the Council of the European Union. Juul-Dam, a former adviser to Helle Thorning-Schmidt, also credited the civil service and called the outcome a large victory for the government.
What the agreement contains
According to Reuters, the deal allows the United States to establish defense areas at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig and to expand activities at Pituffik Space Base. US aircraft and vessels gain broad rights to fly over, land in and operate in Greenland’s territorial waters. Reuters noted that the text sets out no troop numbers or timelines.
Reuters also reported that the agreement permits the United States to develop a “Golden Dome” missile defense system in Greenland. The Atlantic Council noted on September 23, 2026, that non-NATO countries may not establish a military presence there without approval from all three parties. Reuters added that the agreement is to remain applicable if Greenland becomes independent.
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DR reports that the agreement updates the existing US-Danish defense arrangements from 1951, and that the differences between the two texts are small. As stated by Juul-Dam, Denmark and Greenland made few concessions, and their stated red lines were not crossed.
Both advisers named Trump as the party that got least out of the deal, according to DR. Bruun said many of Trump’s voters do not want him spending energy on Greenland. Juul-Dam argued the US side wanted the matter concluded with as little friction and attention as possible.
DR also described a public relations contest between Frederiksen and Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, whose teams circulated images from New York. Juul-Dam expects the handling of the conflict to show up in polling for the Social Democrats, after earlier gains for the party and the Moderates.
Reuters reported that Greenland welcomed the pact as a possible end to anxiety over Trump’s threats, while distrust of Washington remained. The Atlantic Council described the agreement as an attempt to end a crisis that damaged US relations with Denmark and its European allies.
