Greenland’s parliament on Tuesday ratified a trilateral security and military-access agreement with the United States and Denmark, paving the way for two new US military bases and the Golden Dome missile defence system promoted by President Donald Trump, according to DW. The Greenland security agreement expands the US military presence on the island.
According to Hong Kong-based SCMP, the agreement allows for two new US military bases and Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ missile defence system. DW reports that the deal keeps Greenland under Danish control and reaffirms Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.
Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen signed the agreement in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, DW reports.
Greenlandic Foreign Minister Mute Egede welcomed the ratification, saying, "peace and stability are no longer something we can take for granted," according to DW.
Pele Broberg, chair of the pro-independence Naleraq party, said "no economic benefit has been gained from the agreement," according to DW. No response from the US government or Trump to that criticism has been reported.
The context is a dispute that escalated in January 2026, when Trump began calling for US control of Greenland and threatened military force and tariffs against European allies, according to DW. Those threats strained US ties with Denmark and rattled NATO allies. A January 21 "concept of a deal" with NATO chief Mark Rutte eased tensions, DW reports. Under a 1951 agreement, the US already has considerable military freedom of action in Greenland and currently maintains only the Pituffik Space Base, per DW.
An unverified claim circulating on Reddit’s r/worldnews says the deal effectively grants NATO countries exclusivity on mining. That claim rests only on the aggregator post, and neither DW nor SCMP has confirmed it. A remark attributed to Trump on Fox News calling Greenland "the greatest gift" was also reported only via r/worldnews, which cites another caller on the same call saying he meant "a military deal." The full text of the agreement was not among the sources available.
What happens next: the agreement takes effect only after the Danish parliament ratifies it. According to DW, the bill is read over two sessions in November, with a vote scheduled for November 19 in Copenhagen.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.