The United States and Denmark will renegotiate their 1951 defence pact covering Greenland, reopening a Cold War-era agreement after US President Donald Trump backed away from threats to seize the territory and punish European allies with tariffs.
Issued on: 22/01/2026 - RFJ
A Danish navy inspection vessel leaves Nuuk, Greenland, on 18 January 2026.
© AP - Mads Claus Rasmussen
A source familiar with talks between Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the agreement would be revised, but stressed that placing American bases on Greenland under US sovereignty had not been discussed.
“The 1951 agreement will get renegotiated,” the source told the French news agency AFP – adding that European allies would also step up security in the Arctic.
The defence pact, last updated in 2004, already allows Washington to increase troop deployments on the island as long as authorities in Denmark and Greenland are informed in advance.
The US currently operates one base there, the Pituffik Space Base in the north-west, which plays a key role in its missile defence system.
Trump said on Wednesday he had reached a “framework” agreement with Rutte covering Greenland and the wider Arctic region.
Trump reverses course on Greenland, drops tariff threat, citing 'deal'
But Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said NATO’s chief had no authority to negotiate on Denmark’s behalf.
In a social media post, Poulsen said it was “very positive” that NATO wanted to strengthen Arctic security, but warned there were firm limits.
“We have a clear red line,” he said. “We will not cede sovereignty over parts of the kingdom.”
A NATO spokesperson later said talks would continue, stressing that “negotiations between Denmark, Greenland and the US would go forward aimed at ensuring that Russia and China never gain a foothold, economically or militarily, in Greenland”.
Unclear framework
Trump’s earlier threats over Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, had shaken relations between Washington and its European allies.
He had repeatedly said he wanted the territory to become part of the United States, and threatened tariffs of up to 25 percent against Denmark and other European countries.
Based on his talks with Rutte, Trump said he would not impose the tariffs that were due to take effect on 1 February.
European diplomats said the shift in tone had eased tensions, but warned that key questions remain unanswered. NATO has insisted that Rutte “did not propose any compromise to sovereignty” in his talks with Trump.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she had been informed that Greenland’s status was not discussed.
“We can negotiate all political aspects: security, investment, the economy,” she said. “But we cannot negotiate our sovereignty.”
Aaja Chenmitz, one of two Greenlandic lawmakers in the Danish parliament, questioned why NATO should have any role in discussions touching on the island’s resources.
“NATO in no case has the right to negotiate on anything without us, Greenland,” she wrote on social media.
(with newswires)
A source familiar with talks between Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the agreement would be revised, but stressed that placing American bases on Greenland under US sovereignty had not been discussed.
“The 1951 agreement will get renegotiated,” the source told the French news agency AFP – adding that European allies would also step up security in the Arctic.
The defence pact, last updated in 2004, already allows Washington to increase troop deployments on the island as long as authorities in Denmark and Greenland are informed in advance.
The US currently operates one base there, the Pituffik Space Base in the north-west, which plays a key role in its missile defence system.
Trump said on Wednesday he had reached a “framework” agreement with Rutte covering Greenland and the wider Arctic region.
Trump reverses course on Greenland, drops tariff threat, citing 'deal'
But Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said NATO’s chief had no authority to negotiate on Denmark’s behalf.
In a social media post, Poulsen said it was “very positive” that NATO wanted to strengthen Arctic security, but warned there were firm limits.
“We have a clear red line,” he said. “We will not cede sovereignty over parts of the kingdom.”
A NATO spokesperson later said talks would continue, stressing that “negotiations between Denmark, Greenland and the US would go forward aimed at ensuring that Russia and China never gain a foothold, economically or militarily, in Greenland”.
Unclear framework
Trump’s earlier threats over Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, had shaken relations between Washington and its European allies.
He had repeatedly said he wanted the territory to become part of the United States, and threatened tariffs of up to 25 percent against Denmark and other European countries.
Based on his talks with Rutte, Trump said he would not impose the tariffs that were due to take effect on 1 February.
European diplomats said the shift in tone had eased tensions, but warned that key questions remain unanswered. NATO has insisted that Rutte “did not propose any compromise to sovereignty” in his talks with Trump.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she had been informed that Greenland’s status was not discussed.
“We can negotiate all political aspects: security, investment, the economy,” she said. “But we cannot negotiate our sovereignty.”
Aaja Chenmitz, one of two Greenlandic lawmakers in the Danish parliament, questioned why NATO should have any role in discussions touching on the island’s resources.
“NATO in no case has the right to negotiate on anything without us, Greenland,” she wrote on social media.
(with newswires)
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