US to build two new military bases in Greenland under deal with Denmark

The United States, Denmark, and Greenland have finalized a new security agreement that will significantly enhance the U.S. military presence on the strategic Arctic island. The deal, signed on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, permits the U.S. to establish two new military bases in Greenland, located at Narsarsuaq in the south and Mestersvig on the east coast. Additionally, the agreement allows for the modernization and expansion of the existing U.S. Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland.

The trilateral accord, signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Greenland Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen, aims to bolster security in the Arctic region. It grants the United States broad access to Greenland's territory and airspace, while explicitly preventing non-NATO countries from establishing military installations or making sensitive investments on the island without mutual consent. This agreement, which has no expiration date, seeks to solidify Arctic defense and follows earlier tensions stemming from President Trump's past interest in acquiring Greenland.