--- title: "Trump, Frederiksen, and Nielsen Sign Agreement on US Military Presence in Greenland: What Has Changed in the Arctic" description: "On September 22, Trump, Frederiksen, and Nielsen signed an agreement on an expanded US military presence in Greenland: two new bases and a ban on placing facilities for third countries." date: 2026-09-22T16:44:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/trump-frederiksen-nielsen-us-military-presence-greenland-agreement tags: [greenland, arctic-security, us-military-bases, trump, denmark, geopolitics] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Trump, Frederiksen, and Nielsen Sign Agreement on US Military Presence in Greenland: What Has Changed in the Arctic ![Trump, Frederiksen and Nielsen sign the US military presence agreement in Greenland at a ceremony with United States, Denmark and Greenland nameplates](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/22/tramp-fredriksen-nilssen-soglashenie-bezopasnosti-grenlandii/tramp-fredriksen-nilssen-soglashenie-bezopasnosti-grenlandii-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The United States, Denmark, and Greenland signed a new security agreement that continues and expands the 1951 treaty - Washington is granted the right to establish military bases near Narsarsuaq and in Mestersvig - The document prohibits US adversaries from building their own bases on Greenlandic territory - Nielsen stated that the agreement puts an end to speculation about the island's geopolitical orientation On September 22, 2026, in Washington, an event took place that observers are calling a turning point for the entire Arctic geopolitics: US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and the head of the Greenlandic government Jens-Frederik Nielsen signed a new agreement on the security of the island. The document, on which the parties had been negotiating for several months, grants the United States the right to "develop a significant military presence" in Greenland and, in effect, puts an end to the long-running debate over the future of the strategic Arctic island. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a statement from the White House on the social network X. ### Key provisions of the new agreement According to the text of the document, the United States is authorized to establish two military facilities on Greenlandic territory: a base near Narsarsuaq in the southern part of the island and a base in Mestersvig in the east. In addition, the agreement contains a provision prohibiting "Washington's adversaries" from building their own military bases on Greenlandic territory. According to Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the new document does not replace but continues the 1951 historical agreement, which laid the foundation for the American military presence on the island. Thus, Washington formally secures its status as a permanent defense partner of Greenland while expanding the scale of its infrastructure. ### Reactions from the parties: from a "milestone in relations" to the "end of speculation" Jens-Frederik Nielsen, commenting on the signing, emphasized that the agreement is intended to "put an end to all speculation about which side Greenland is on." "We will continue to be friends of the United States and part of the Western alliance," the head of the Greenlandic government stated. Mette Frederiksen, for her part, called the document a "milestone in the long-standing relationship" between Washington and Copenhagen and stressed that the new agreement is "bigger and better" than the 1951 treaty. "An agreement that can last forever," the Danish prime minister added. Donald Trump, addressing journalists, thanked both leaders and assured: "We will have fantastic and reliable relations. This is wonderful for Europe and the United States. And for everyone. And it will be wonderful for Greenland as well." ### Context: months of debate and strategic calculation The signing of the agreement was the culmination of several months of tense discussions about the future of Greenland. Earlier, as RBC-Ukraine reported, Washington had already stated its intention to resume and expand its military presence on the island, and Trump publicly promised that the United States, Denmark, and Greenland would conclude a document giving the American side "permanent control over the security of the island." The strategic significance of Greenland for Washington is determined by its location in the Arctic region: the island controls key maritime routes, and its territory includes early-warning and space-monitoring facilities. In the context of intensifying great-power competition for influence in the Arctic, securing the American military presence is seen as a preventive step aimed at excluding alternative military bases on the island. ### What this means for the regional security architecture The new agreement effectively transforms the 1951 format of relations into a broader and longer-term treaty, in which Greenland appears not merely as a territory under Danish sovereignty but as an independent political actor signing the document on equal footing with the two capitals. For Copenhagen, this means preserving sovereignty while simultaneously recognizing the American defense role; for Washington β€” legitimizing and expanding its infrastructure; for Nuuk β€” the formal entrenchment of its status as "part of the Western alliance" and protection from external pressure. Experts note that the provision banning bases for "Washington's adversaries" makes the document not only defensive but also deterrent toward third countries, giving the agreement a distinctly geopolitical character. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Trump signs new security agreement for Greenland](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/tramp-pidpisav-novu-ugodu-bezpeku-grenlandiyi-1790095154.html) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Π΄Π°Ρ‚Ρƒ подписания (22.09.2026), участников, ΠΊΠ»ΡŽΡ‡Π΅Π²Ρ‹Π΅ Ρ†ΠΈΡ‚Π°Ρ‚Ρ‹ НильсСна, ЀрСдСриксСн ΠΈ Π’Ρ€Π°ΠΌΠΏΠ°, Π° Ρ‚Π°ΠΊΠΆΠ΅ полоТСния ΠΎ Π΄Π²ΡƒΡ… Π±Π°Π·Π°Ρ…. - [Trump, Denmark, and Greenland sign agreement on strengthening US military presence on the island](https://nv.ua/world/geopolitics/voennoe-prisutstvie-ssha-v-grenlandii-tramp-podpisal-soglashenie-s-daniey-i-grenlandiey-50643669.html) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚ подписания ΠΈ Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΡƒΠ»ΠΈΡ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΡƒ ΠΎΠ± усилСнии Π²ΠΎΠ΅Π½Π½ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ присутствия. - [The United States, Denmark, and Greenland sign security agreement for the island](https://www.rbc.ru/politics/22/09/2026/6ab2a3580d60672077f36000) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Π΄Π°Ρ‚Ρƒ ΠΈ участников подписания, ΠΎΠ±Ρ‰ΡƒΡŽ Ρ€Π°ΠΌΠΊΡƒ соглашСния. - [The United States, Denmark, and Greenland sign defense treaty in the Arctic. What has changed?](https://www.bbc.com/russian/articles/cwp93l1pkmp0o) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚ подписания; ΠΈΡΠΏΠΎΠ»ΡŒΠ·ΡƒΠ΅Ρ‚ Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΡƒΠ»ΠΈΡ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΡƒ Β«Π΄ΠΎΠ³ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΡ€ ΠΎΠ± ΠΎΠ±ΠΎΡ€ΠΎΠ½Π΅ Π² АрктикС», Ρ‡Ρ‚ΠΎ согласуСтся с содСрТаниСм соглашСния. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What exactly did Trump, Frederiksen, and Nielsen sign on September 22, 2026? **A:** The parties signed a security agreement for Greenland that continues and expands the 1951 treaty. The document authorizes the United States to develop a significant military presence on the island and prohibits Washington's adversaries from building their own bases on Greenlandic territory. ### Q: Where exactly will the American military bases be located? **A:** According to the text of the agreement, the United States is authorized to establish a base near Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and a base in Mestersvig in the east of the island. ### Q: How does Greenland comment on the signing of the agreement? **A:** Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated that the document is meant to "put an end to all speculation about which side Greenland is on," and emphasized that the island will continue to be "friends of the United States and part of the Western alliance." ### Q: What has changed compared with the 1951 agreement? **A:** According to Mette Frederiksen, the new agreement is "bigger and better" and "can last forever." It grants the United States the right to two specific bases, contains a ban on placing facilities for third countries, and is signed by Greenland as an independent actor.