New Greenland deal allows US to build two military bases

A new six-page defence agreement signed by Greenland, Denmark and the United States allows the US to establish two additional defence areas in Greenland, DR reports. The agreement was signed by Jens-Frederik Nielsen, chairman of Greenland’s Naalakkersuisut, and representatives of Denmark and the US.

The deal updates the 1951 defence agreement and also permits the US to modernise and expand its activities at Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland.

Two new defence areas

The agreement gives the US permission to establish additional defence areas at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig.

Narsarsuaq, a settlement in southern Greenland, previously hosted the large American military base Bluie West 1, which operated from 1941 to 1958. Mestersvig, on Greenland’s east coast, currently has a station under the Arctic Command that is used, among other purposes, by the Sirius Sledge Patrol.

The US currently has one military base in Greenland, Pituffik Space Base. The former Thule Base hosted up to about 10,000 American soldiers and other staff in the early 1950s. In September 2025, the Danish military estimated that about 150 American soldiers, in addition to civilian employees, were stationed there.

The agreement also allows the US to establish further defence areas in Greenland and strengthen its military operations or facilities. Any new defence area would require approval from both Denmark and Greenland.

Golden Dome missile defence system

A new element compared with the 1951 agreement is the planned establishment of a Golden Dome defence system.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken about Golden Dome, a large missile defence system intended to function as a shield. The plans have included placing parts of the system in space and other parts on the ground.

Greenland’s right to self-determination

The agreement states that Greenland has the right to decide its own future. This provision was signed by Trump amid repeated US interest in buying Greenland and renewed discussion of Greenlandic independence.

However, the agreement says Greenland must remain in NATO, if necessary by applying for membership. It also says Greenland must assume all the rights and obligations held by the Kingdom of Denmark under the agreement.

Restrictions on investment

The agreement brings Greenland, Denmark and the US together in efforts to provide collective defence and preserve peace and security.

It also says that states or investors from countries that are not NATO members, NATO partners or EU member states may not make investments that could threaten national security or public order in particularly sensitive sectors.

No end date

The agreement has no expiry date and can only be amended by mutual consent in accordance with Article XIII of the 1951 defence agreement.

If Greenland becomes an independent state, the Danish and Greenlandic governments must ensure that the independent Greenlandic state agrees to remain in NATO and that the new agreement with the US continues to apply.