Denmark Says NATO Could Have Long-Term Presence in Greenland After Trump Deal

Denmark has said that NATO is likely to have a long-term presence in Greenland and the Arctic region, following the signing of a security agreement by U.S. President Donald Trump last week.

Danish Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus told Reuters in an interview published on Sept. 28 that Copenhagen hoped Arctic Sentry would become permanent.

Asked whether he thought such a scenario was one being considered by NATO, Bruus said, “So far we are pretty positive that ‌the ⁠increased military presence in Greenland—but also in the Arctic—will continue.”

Arctic Sentry is a NATO military command launched earlier this year amid growing concerns about potential security threats in the Arctic and High North posed by regional adversaries.

The more permanent role for NATO in the region, Bruus said, would be important, as melting ice begins to open up shipping routes.

“The build-up of ⁠interest ​in the Arctic, also from Russia, ​from China, etc., demands that NATO has a greater presence in the ​High North,” he said.

Greenland is an autonomous Danish territory that sits between North America and Scandinavia. It is rich in critical minerals and rare earths, and straddles key sea lanes, including trans-Arctic shipping corridors.

President Donald Trump had previously said he wanted to annex Greenland, calling it essential to securing the region.

Security Deal

On Sept. 22, Trump signed the security agreement at the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

It allows the United States to expand its military presence and control security for the key Arctic territory. Trump announced during his address to the General Assembly that the United States will build two major military bases on the island, with one being in the south and the other on the eastern coast.

“No U.S. adversary will ever be permitted to establish a military presence in Greenland anymore, or make sensitive investments there without our express written approval,” Trump said during his address.

“We will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations.”

Currently, U.S. military forces are stationed at Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland. At the height of the Cold War, the United States maintained 17 installations and had more than 10,000 personnel stationed there.

NATO in the Arctic

NATO has been placing greater emphasis on demonstrating its presence and defensive capabilities in the Arctic region in recent months, in response to Trump’s security concerns and his push to acquire Greenland.

On Sept. 24, the alliance wrote in a post on X that “protecting Greenland and the High North is more important to the Alliance than ever,” and that Arctic Sentry was helping defend the region as part of NATO’s collective security.

Earlier this month, NATO said that more than 400 personnel from 11 NATO members were taking part in multidomain training across Greenland, as part of Exercise Arctic Shield, which is part of the wider Arctic Sentry military presence.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte launched Arctic Sentry on Feb. 11, saying at a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels that it was crucial that the defense alliance do more to protect the region in the face of Moscow’s increased military activity and Beijing’s growing interest in the High North.

The announcement followed a meeting between Trump and Rutte in Davos, Switzerland, in January, where the leaders agreed that NATO should take greater responsibility for Arctic security.