United States, Denmark, and Greenland sign permanent Arctic defense pact

The United States, the Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland have signed a permanent defense agreement aimed at strengthening security in the Arctic region. The agreement, signed in New York, modifies and supplements a 1951 pact and lacks an expiration date, establishing a permanent framework for cooperation.

Under the terms, the U.S. military is granted expanded access to Greenland, including the ability to land aircraft anywhere on the island and move troops, vehicles, and vessels freely across land, sea, and air between designated defense areas. The agreement allows for the modernization of Pituffik Space Base and the potential establishment of new defense sites at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig.

The pact also includes commitments from Copenhagen and Nuuk to ensure that a future independent Greenland remains within NATO, inheriting Denmark’s rights and obligations. Experts suggest the agreement provides a framework for distributed Arctic deterrence, focusing on persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) networks and maritime denial capabilities to counter increasing Russian and Chinese activity in the region.