Trump Announces Security Pact with Denmark and Greenland to Counter China and Russia
The agreement grants the U.S. permanent security control over Greenland, aiming to block adversaries.
President Donald Trump announced a new security agreement with Denmark and Greenland, designed to prevent US adversaries from establishing bases and limit their investments in the strategically important Arctic island. A security expert compared the pact to the US acquisition of Alaska, stating it secures vital North American defense geography while curbing Russian and Chinese expansion.
Retired US Marine Col. Grant Newsham, a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy, described the agreement as "a big deal," comparable to Secretary of State Seward's acquisition of Alaska in 1867. "It locks up or brings into the fold, really, key terrain, key geography, up on our northeast," Newsham explained. "Russia and the Chinese, in particular, they can’t get in there militarily, and they cannot get in economically."
Trump announced the deal on Truth Social, stating it would give the United States "permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many US concerns." He added that there would be no cost to the U.S. and that the agreement permanently guarantees the U.S. the ability to take necessary actions for the security of Greenland and the United States.
Denmark and Greenland have indicated that the agreement, which still requires formal signatures and parliamentary approval, will uphold their "sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Newsham suggested that this agreement aligns with Trump's broader foreign policy objectives of defending the U.S. homeland, citing previous actions regarding China in Panama and actions in Venezuela. "You can see that there’s a plan here for defending our homeland. And this really is a big deal, to put it in simple terms," Newsham said.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth noted Trump's intention to expand the US military presence in Greenland, quoting the president's statement: "We will immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland, of which there are many."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the agreement on X, calling it a "historic deal" and a "huge win for the United States." He stated that the agreement "permanently guarantees US security interests in the Arctic at zero cost to the US taxpayer." Rubio added, "Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area. This deal permanently and completely addresses our national security concerns in Greenland."
Newsham anticipates that while China and Russia will likely protest the agreement, their ability to counter it will be limited. "They’ll complain. They won’t like it, but there’s not much they can do about it," he said. "They’ll probably step up their activities in the territories they have up there. But, nonetheless, this is a huge advance for the United States and our position."
