Trump says US has ‘permanent control’ of Greenland security: Does it?

President Trump on Friday said Washington and Denmark have reached an agreement that he described as giving the United States permanent control over Greenland's security and related needs. The full text of the pact has not been released publicly; Danish and Greenlandic officials have confirmed a deal will be announced next week but have provided few details and said formal ratification is required in their parliaments. According to a US State Department official cited in reporting, the draft agreement would prevent non-NATO countries from establishing military bases in Greenland or making investments in sectors deemed "sensitive" without US approval, a restriction the official said is intended to block China and Russia from building military infrastructure or deploying troops on the island. The official also said the pact would allow the US to build additional military sites in Greenland without separate Greenlandic or Danish approval and that the agreement would remain in force even if Greenland became independent. Copenhagen and Nuuk have framed the deal differently from the White House. Denmark's prime minister said the agreement reaffirms the Kingdom's sovereignty and Greenlanders' right to self-determination, and Greenland's prime minister said the deal recognises Greenland's interests. Observers noted much of the available information so far has come from US statements and that specifics remain unclear. The announcement does not equate to ownership of Greenland. The United States already operates under broad basing and overflight rights established by a 1951 treaty and runs the Pituffik Space Force base with more than 100 personnel stationed there. A January 2025 poll found 85% of Greenlanders opposed becoming part of the United States, and commentators say the new agreement may resolve the political crisis caused by last year's US proposal to acquire the island without altering Greenlandic or Danish sovereignty.