A new Greenland security agreement between Denmark, Greenland and the United States is set to give NATO a broader role in Arctic security, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Tuesday, as the agreement is expected to be signed in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Details of the agreement have not yet been made public. Rasmussen said that responsibility for security in the Arctic will not remain solely in the hands of Denmark or the United States, emphasizing that to a large extent it will be NATO that will take care of the region's security.
"It will be in a form where the responsibility for security in the Arctic is not just Danish or American," Rasmussen told Danish broadcaster TV2. He added that "to a large extent it would be NATO that would take care of the Arctic."
The Danish minister did not provide further details on the content of the agreement, but said that Copenhagen has been open from the beginning to taking into account the legitimate security interests of the United States.
Rasmussen's comments come after US President Donald Trump described the deal in much broader terms. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement would give Washington "permanent control over security and all other needs" in Greenland.
Trump has also stated that no adversary of the US will be allowed to have a base or military presence in Greenland without written approval from Washington. Denmark and Greenland authorities have not publicly confirmed these specific claims by the US president.
In contrast, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has stressed that the agreement recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, as well as the right of the people of Greenland to self-determination. The Greenland government has also expressed support for the agreement, linking it to strengthening the security of the territory.
The agreement is expected to be signed on September 22 in New York, but it must also pass the relevant parliamentary procedures in Denmark and Greenland before it can enter into force.
Denmark has previously admitted that it has not invested enough in Greenland's defense for decades and has warned of strengthening its military presence on the island. NATO has welcomed the agreement, saying it will contribute to security, stability and cooperation in a region strategic to the alliance.
Greenland remains an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, while the new agreement is expected to define a broader framework for cooperation on security in the Arctic. The full content of the document will become clearer after its signing and publication.
