The United States of America is in active talks with Greenland and Denmark to expand its military presence in Greenland. US officials are seeking to open three new bases in the south of the territory, a semi-autonomous part of Denmark, as they work to resolve a diplomatic crisis sparked by President Donald Trump when he threatened to seize Greenland by force.
Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, mentioned on Tuesday that increasing the U.S. military presence in the Arctic territory was part of ongoing negotiations with Washington, as the United States’ desire to own or control the territory remains alive.
US-Greenland tussle under President Trump
During President Trump’s first term (2017–21), he proposed purchasing Greenland, breaking decades of low-profile diplomacy. Danish and Greenlandic leaders rejected the proposal outright, stating that Greenland was “not for sale.”
After returning to office in 2025, Donald Trump adopted a more assertive tone in foreign policy, often speaking strongly about the use of military power not just against rivals but also in matters involving U.S. allies. In late 2025, he appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a special envoy to Greenland. Landry stated that his goal was to explore the possibility of closer ties between Greenland and the United States, even suggesting the idea of it becoming part of the US.
Deal details
Reiterating PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen’s statement, the White House confirmed the administration was engaged in high-level talks with Greenland and Denmark, but declined to comment on details of the negotiations.
The United States is negotiating with Denmark for access to three additional bases in Greenland – including two previously abandoned by Americans- which would mark the first U.S. expansion there in decades, according to a top Pentagon general, Gen. Gregory M. Guillot.
General Guillot, the head of U.S. Northern Command, told lawmakers in a congressional hearing in mid-March that the military wanted “increased access to different bases across Greenland as we look at the increasing threat and the strategic importance of Greenland.”
Healthy resolution to a long-lasting dispute?
Greenland has repeatedly said it is open to wider military and business cooperation with the U.S., including on mineral resources, but that its sovereignty is non-negotiable.
The United States has one active base in Greenland, the Pituffik Space Base in the northwest, down from around 17 facilities in 1945 when thousands of U.S. personnel staffed facilities around the island. The nations will work under the 1951 Greenland Defence Agreement, which is a foundational treaty between the U.S. and Denmark (acting on behalf of Greenland) that established a U.S. security guarantee for the territory and provided for key military bases, including the Pituffik Space Base.
