Greenland: Frederiksen and Nielsen travel to the US to sign agreement

Cpenhaga, 20 Sep 2026 (Lusa)- The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, and the head of the Greenland Government, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, left today for New York, where they will sign the agreement announced on Friday between Denmark, Greenland and the United States.

Denmark and Greenland confirmed on Friday night an agreement with the United States on security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic, which is due to be signed in the coming days, at the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UN) in New York.

“ I'm traveling to New York. This is gonna be an important moment. And I look forward to a good deal for Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States,” Frederiksen wrote in a social network publication Instagram, under a photograph of him sitting on a plane.

The Danish Prime Minister said that in recent days and weeks she has been in close contact with her counterparts from Germany, France and the United Kingdom, the neighbouring Nordic countries and the partners of the European Union (EU) and NATO to inform them of the agreement, of which no specific details have yet been disclosed.

Before boarding the plane, Frederiksen confirmed, in statements to the Danish public broadcaster DR, that he will meet with American President Donald Trump in New York, and stated that he has a “excellent relationship” with the agent.

“ In a troubled world, I believe this agreement is positive for our safety. Both from a European point of view and from the point of view of the kingdom as well as from the perspective of NATO,” stressed the Head of State, which is expected in New York by his Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

The chairman of the military committee of the Atlantic Alliance, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, said Saturday in Copenhagen that the “agreement is very welcome”.

“ It has been difficult times for many people in our country, and I know that there has been as much concern as fear for what might happen (...)”, wrote Greenland’s head of government, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who is also flying to New York today accompanied by Foreign Minister Múte B. Egede.

“ While I'm crossing the Atlantic, I think of all of you at home. In families, children, young people and the elderly. In all those who followed the situation and were concerned about what the future could reserve,” he added.

Nielsen expressed the desire that “now we can have a little more tranquility”, he concluded.

Neither Frederiksen nor Nielsen revealed on what day the agreement will be signed, the full content of which has not yet been disclosed by either party.

What is known, however, is that the agreement guarantees the United States a permanent role in Greenland security and that any opponent of Washington will be prohibited from having military presence or unauthorized investments on the island.

According to Washington, the pact gives the United States the ability to “do what is necessary in Greenland” to ensure the security of the island and the United States, including the permanent presence on the island and the rights to fly over, and to allow the increase in the number of US bases if necessary.

Currently, the United States only relies on the base of the Pituffik Space Force (formerly Thule base) on the island after decades of reduction in its presence, although the Danish authorities stressed that this policy was a Washington decision.

A 1951 defence agreement, as amended in 2004 to include Greenland, already gives the US ample powers to establish new defense zones on the Arctic island.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to take control of Greenland last year, not even excluding the use of force, creating alarm in Denmark and among NATO allies.