In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement would give the United States long-term freedom to take measures it considers necessary to defend Greenland and US security.
He said the agreement had no expiry date and would prevent US adversaries from establishing bases or making certain sensitive investments in Greenland without US approval.
“This is a dream come true for the United States of America,” Trump wrote, without providing detailed terms of the agreement.
Earlier on Friday, Reuters reported that Washington and Copenhagen were nearing a deal to increase the US military presence in Greenland. The agreement falls short of Trump’s previous calls for the United States to acquire the island.
The US already has extensive overflight and basing rights in Greenland under a 1951 agreement with Denmark. Greenland currently hosts a US Space Force facility in its remote northwest.
Trump said the United States would soon announce a major military presence on the island.
Details of agreement remain unclear
The Danish prime minister’s office said the agreement would strengthen security in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the agreement recognised Greenland’s interests and its role in international cooperation.
However, several details remained unclear, including whether the agreement would lead to the construction of new US military bases.
US statements about negotiations and agreements have at times provided limited details, making the precise scope of the latest deal difficult to establish.
Imran Bayoumi, a former Pentagon official now with the Atlantic Council, said it would represent a new development if the United States could construct bases without approval from Greenland or Denmark.
However, he said Washington appeared capable of achieving many of its objectives through diplomacy without putting additional strain on its wider relationship with NATO allies.
The agreement could also face scrutiny in Greenland, where many residents support independence from Denmark and have objected to previous US efforts to assert greater control over the island.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said separately that the agreement would permanently address Washington’s national security concerns regarding Greenland.
He said Greenland would remain part of the strategic defence area of North America and that potential adversaries would be excluded from the island and surrounding areas.
A US State Department official, speaking anonymously about the agreement’s terms, said the deal would prevent non-NATO countries from establishing military bases in Greenland.
The official also said the agreement would allow only the United States and its allies to make certain unspecified “sensitive investments”.
According to the official, the agreement provides the United States with permanent access, basing and overflight rights and would remain applicable even if Greenland eventually becomes independent.
