Greenland's parliament ratified a security agreement with the US and Denmark on November 3, which provides for an expansion of American military presence on the island. The document, signed in September by US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Denmark and Greenland, must now receive approval from the Danish parliament.
Reuters reports this.
16 members of Greenland's parliament voted for the ratification of the agreement, no one voted against, and seven abstained. Most parliamentarians supported the document already during preliminary discussion in October.
The agreement was signed on September 22, 2026 in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Its participants were US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
The document is intended to strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, and to resolve disagreements that arose after Trump's repeated statements about intention to establish American control over Greenland.
According to the agreements, the US will be able to create two additional military bases on the island and expand the activities of the existing Pituffik space base. The agreement also provides for possibilities for deploying elements of the American Golden Dome missile defense system.
American military personnel will receive broader rights to move across Greenland's territory, use airspace and access territorial waters. At the same time, creation of new military facilities must be agreed by the parties.
Another block of the agreement concerns limiting the presence of third countries. Countries outside NATO will not be able to create their own military infrastructure on the island without the consent of the parties to the agreement.
In addition, enhanced control of foreign investments in strategic sectors, including critical infrastructure and extraction of natural resources, is envisaged. These provisions are aimed, in particular, at limiting the influence of Russia and China in the Arctic region.
At the same time, the agreement does not provide for transfer of Greenland under US sovereignty. The document directly confirms the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of the Greenlandic people to independently determine their future.
Greenland's Foreign Minister Mute Egede called the ratification an important step for the island. Speaking before deputies in Nuuk, he emphasized that peace and stability can no longer be taken for granted.
However, not all political forces supported the agreement. Representatives of the opposition Naleraq party, which advocates for Greenland's independence, expressed doubts about the economic benefits of the document.
Party chairman Pele Broberg stated that the island needs more advantageous agreements that will retain their value even after potential independence. In his opinion, the current agreement does not ensure Greenland sufficient economic advantages.
The treaty provides that the American side should, where possible, involve local companies in construction, maintenance and development of military infrastructure. However, the concrete volume of future contracts for Greenlandic business is not defined.
The next stage will be consideration of the agreement by Denmark's parliament. According to Reuters information, the first reading is scheduled for November 11, and the final vote should take place on November 19.
After completion of parliamentary procedures, Denmark will send a diplomatic notification to the US. It is from the moment of its receipt that the agreement will enter into force. Additional approval by the American Senate is not required.
The document has no set duration. It also provides for preservation of defense obligations in case Greenland gains independence from Denmark in the future.
Earlier "Kurs Ukrainy" reported that the agreement supplements the existing 1951 defense agreement for Greenland and significantly expands the capabilities of American military in the Arctic.
Based on materials from: Reuters, White House, Government of Denmark.
