US Ices a Deal for Use of Greenland Forever

Shortly after taking office in January 2025, President Donald Trump made it clear that he believed it was in the United States’ best interest to have a controlling presence in Greenland. He saw the island’s immense strategic value in defending the Arctic. China and Russia have begun operating regularly above the Arctic Circle and have established their presence in many areas. Initially, President Trump spoke boldly about invading Greenland or otherwise owning the territory. These aspirations met significant pushback from Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emphatically asserted: “Greenland is not for sale.” How times have changed.

President Trump recently announced a landmark agreement with Greenland and Denmark, giving the United States unprecedented access to the island. Specific details of the agreement have yet to be published; it is to be signed on the sidelines of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City, which begins Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Greenland Has Been Uniquely Strategic 

Since the late 1940s and the beginning of the Cold War, Greenland has held a uniquely strategic position in the US bulwark against first the Soviet Union until its fall and now Russia and China. Thanks to a new pact between the US, Greenland, and Denmark, that strategic relationship has been strengthened once again. Trump revealed the historic news in a Truth Social post:

“I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has entered into an Agreement with The Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland, that gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many US concerns. There will be NO COST to the United States! At my direction, we worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend Greenland, and the United States of America.”

Trump went on to observe that no adversary will be able to “EVER” establish a military presence or “make sensitive investments in Greenland” without US written approval. With the announcement, Trump also made clear that the US would begin immediately to develop “a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland.” From the US chief executive’s point of view, the agreement will be in effect in perpetuity, or “is an ‘Infinite Life’ Agreement,” as Trump put it.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained to Fox News Digital: “This historic deal is a huge win for the United States and the American people. Thanks to President Trump’s vision and leadership, this historic agreement permanently guarantees US security interests in the Arctic at zero cost to the US taxpayer.” Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenlanders are Danish citizens with Danish passports. But under this deal, the US will handle much of the island’s security. Despite her initial reluctance to embrace US control over Greenland early in the discussions, Prime Minister Frederiksen stated her satisfaction that the agreement “’recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity’ of the Kingdom of Denmark.”

Agreement Puts US in Critical Position

Furthermore, the importance cannot be overstated of being able to detect, identify, track, and destroy intercontinental ballistic missiles launched and coming over the North Pole horizon. Such an early warning capability is critical to the effectiveness of Golden Dome for America, the expansive US air defense initiative. Additionally, this agreement supports the US “America First” National Security Strategy. It shores up the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap, missile-warning corridors, as well as enhancing the oversight of the sea-borne traffic transiting through the Arctic sea lanes, particularly thwarting any adventurism on the part of Beijing and Moscow. 

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Greenland also represents an opportunity to secure access to critically needed rare earth minerals. Again, according to Fox News: “Retreating Arctic ice is opening shipping lanes around the island that could shorten trade routes between North America, Europe and Asia.

The changing landscape has also drawn attention to Greenland’s rare earth elements and other critical minerals used in technology, renewable energy and military systems.” Unfettered access to the rare earth elements would reduce US dependence on China and others for the minerals. Some companies are getting a jumpstart on the agreement. According to the New York Post: “On Sept. 1, Greenland Mines… a US-aligned firm headquartered in North Carolina, closed a deal for the Sarfartoq Rare Earths Project in southwest Greenland. The company announced that it planned to produce NdPr oxide — a compound of neodymium and praseodymium used in the manufacturing of magnets for EVs and wind turbines, as well as defense capabilities.”

The agreement between the US, Greenland, and Denmark is the culmination of months of acrimonious negotiations. However, it appears that the US has achieved the strategic control over Greenland that it wanted from the beginning.

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The views expressed are those of the author and not of any other affiliate.