President Trump said Friday that he has reached a deal to give the United States “permanent control over security and all other needs in Greenland,” following an initiative by the president to increase U.S. influence over the Arctic island or, if possible, seize it. The governments of Greenland and Denmark, which oversees the semi-autonomous island, confirmed they had reached an agreement with the United States. The agreement is expected to be signed in New York City on Tuesday, when dozens of world leaders will be in the city for the United Nations General Assembly, two US officials told CBS News. Details are scarce, but the deal does not appear to constitute a direct U.S. takeover of the territory, an idea Trump had previously supported, unsettling Denmark and other NATO members. The agreement also prevents non-NATO members from establishing military bases and restricts U.S. adversaries from making sensitive investments in Greenland, the official said. The agreement will remain in effect permanently, “even if Greenland becomes a fully independent country,” the State Department official said. Trump said in a Truth Social post that he plans to boost the US presence in Greenland. The island has hosted a US base on its western coast since the 1950s. “We will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland, of which there are many,” Trump said. “We will work with the people of Greenland in its development and construction.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the agreement a “major victory.” “Greenland will always be part of the North American strategic defense area and will exclude any adversaries from it and its surroundings,” he said in a statement. “This agreement permanently and completely addresses our national security concerns in Greenland.” A Danish Air Force EH101 Merlin rescue helicopter lands during the NATO military exercise Arctic Shield 2026 in Narsarsuaq, Greenland, Sept. 9, 2026. Around 400 soldiers from about 10 NATO nations participated in Arctic Shield. Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix /AFP via Getty Images Trump has argued since his first term that the United States needs control over Greenland, citing its position in a strategically important corner of the world, between North America and Europe and across the melting Arctic Ocean from Russia. He has pushed to buy the territory from Denmark, an idea that officials in Denmark and Greenland have long rejected. The president dramatically stepped up those procurement efforts earlier this year, threatening heavy tariffs on Denmark and any other country that doesn’t “accompany” his efforts to buy Greenland. His administration did not rule out the use of military force to assume American control of the island. The tactic came shortly after Trump ordered the military to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, and before he launched a war against Iran and blocked most oil imports from Cuba, signaling an increasingly assertive approach to foreign policy. Denmark warned that a US takeover would effectively mark the end of the NATO alliance, and Greenland rejected the idea. Other NATO member states sided with Denmark, opposing Trump’s annexation push. Trump canceled the tariffs in January and took military action in Greenland off the table, announcing that he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had formed “the framework for a future agreement regarding Greenland.” It is unclear whether the agreement announced Friday emerged from those talks with NATO. In a statement on Friday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s office said the governments of the United States, Denmark and Greenland are planning to sign the agreement next week. It will also be necessary to go through the “necessary parliamentary procedures” in Denmark. “I am glad that there are prospects for a good agreement for Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States,” Frederiksen said. He added that the agreement “strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area and is therefore also good for NATO and Europe” and “recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.” Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called the agreement “rewarding.” “The agreement recognizes Greenland’s interests and our place in international cooperation. It is for the benefit of all of us,” he said. in a statement shared by Frederiksen’s office. Jennifer Jacobs and Olivia Gazis contributed to this report. More from CBS News Go deeper with The Free Press in:
