Lawmakers voted 16-0 in favor of the trilateral agreement signed in September, with seven abstaining.
Published November 3, 2026
Lawmakers in Denmark’s semi-autonomous territory of Greenland have approved a deal with Denmark and the United States aimed at strengthening security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
The deal passed 16-0 on Tuesday, with seven lawmakers abstaining.
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The agreement was signed in September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York by US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen.
Months of behind-the-scenes negotiations have continued amid heightened tensions over President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to take control of the vast, resource-rich Arctic island.
Greenland’s Foreign Minister Mute Egede said ratification was another important step for the autonomous island.
“For us as a people, the road to get here has been difficult. But we have stuck to our fundamental principles, chosen dialogue, and taken responsibility for our country’s interests,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“This is about all of us. It’s about the Greenland we love. It’s about our security. And it’s about our right to shape our own future,” he said.
Located between Europe and North America, Greenland is the world’s largest island with a population of 57,000 people.
Polls show that President Trump’s refusal last year to rule out a military invasion sowed fear among Greenlanders, a majority of whom rejected U.S. rule.
The trilateral agreement would pave the way for more US military bases to be built in Greenland. It will also allow the United States to “modernize and expand” operations at Pitufik Space Station, a remote U.S. military facility in northwestern Greenland.
Under its terms, Greenland would remain under Danish control, but the agreement would still apply even if Greenland ultimately chose independence.
The agreement stipulates that it will only “come into force” once “the necessary parliamentary processes of the Kingdom of Denmark in conjunction with Greenland” are completed.
Danish lawmakers are expected to consider the bill later this month, but it does not need approval from the U.S. Senate.
