Lawmakers voted 16-0 in favor of the trilateral agreement signed in September, while seven abstained.
Published on November 3, 2026
Lawmakers in the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland have approved an agreement with Denmark and the United States aimed at strengthening security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
The deal passed 16-0 Tuesday, with seven lawmakers abstaining.
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The agreement was signed in September by US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
It followed months of behind-the-scenes negotiations amid growing tensions over Trump’s repeated threats to seize the vast, resource-rich Arctic island.
Greenland’s Foreign Minister Mute Egede said the ratification was another important milestone for the self-governing island.
“The road to this point has been difficult for us as a people. But we have stood firm on our fundamental principles, chosen dialogue and taken responsibility for the interests of our country,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“It’s about all of us. The Greenland we love. Our security. And our right to shape our own future,” he said.
Located between Europe and North America, Greenland is the largest island in the world, with a population of 57,000.
Trump’s refusal last year to rule out a military invasion sowed fear among Greenlanders, the majority of whom rejected U.S. control, according to opinion polls.
The trilateral agreement paves the way for more US bases in Greenland. It also allows the United States to “modernize and expand” its activities at the Pituffik space base, a remote U.S. military installation in northwest Greenland.
Under its terms, Greenland will remain under Danish control – but the agreement would still apply if the island ultimately chooses independence.
The agreement states that it “will only come into force” once “the necessary parliamentary processes of the Kingdom of Denmark, in conjunction with Greenland, have been completed.”
Danish lawmakers are expected to debate it later this month, while no U.S. Senate approval is required.
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