Council on Foreign Relations(@CFR_org):After nearly 2 years of escalating rhetoric from Washington, the United States, Denmark, and Greenland signed a trilateral security agreement in September that allows for a greater U.S. military presence on the island—including the establishment of “Golden Dome” missile-defense capabilities. Despite President Donald Trump’s previous calls to acquire Greenland, the deal preserves the status quo, maintaining the island’s status as a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. The new agreement expands that partnership, allowing the United States greater access to the island and its territorial waters in what experts say strengthens security in the Arctic.

2026.09.30 22:00

After nearly 2 years of escalating rhetoric from Washington, the United States, Denmark, and Greenland signed a trilateral security agreement in September that allows for a greater U.S. military presence on the island—including the establishment of “Golden Dome” missile-defense capabilities. Despite President Donald Trump’s previous calls to acquire Greenland, the deal preserves the status quo, maintaining the island’s status as a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. The new agreement expands that partnership, allowing the United States greater access to the island and its territorial waters in what experts say strengthens security in the Arctic.