The details are still unknown, but the agreement falls far short of Donald Trump's stated goal of making Greenland American and is being portrayed by several Danish media outlets as a "win" for Denmark.
Danish TV2's US commentator Torsten Jansen calls it "a spectacular defeat for Donald Trump." Berlingske's US correspondent Jacob Heinel Jensen is on the same track: "Shhh, don't tell Trump that it's the Kingdom of Denmark that won," he writes.
For example, the defense agreement signed in the 1950s already gives the United States the right to operate militarily in Greenland.
Securing US interests
However, according to President Donald Trump, the new agreement gives the United States “permanent control over security” on the island.
Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen, a lecturer at the Center for Arctic Security Studies at the Danish Defense Academy, says the agreement looks like it "solves the Greenland crisis" for Denmark, but if Trump's description is correct, the US will have the final say on several important issues.
If we trust what Trump says, the US will have the final say when it comes to foreign investment and military bases in Greenland, which it did not have before.
According to the US, the agreement stops “adversaries” from establishing a presence in Greenland. China has previously tried to invest in mining and critical infrastructure on the island, but has not shown any major interest in the last six or seven years.
But it is a threat that could come back. If this new agreement gives the US the rights that Trump says it does, then it reduces the threat significantly. In that respect, it actually solves a real problem when it comes to Greenland's security, says Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen.
Self-determination is recognized
A crucial aspect for Denmark and Greenland has been continued Danish sovereignty and the Greenlandic population's right to self-determination, according to DR's political commentator Jens Ringberg.
"For Copenhagen – and Nuuk – it is crucial that Trump now signs off on not taking over Greenland. Instead, the three parties should cooperate on security in the Arctic. That goal is common," he writes.
From the American side, the agreement is being highlighted as a great success. US envoy to Greenland Jeff Landry thanks Trump.
“You have secured an incredible victory for the American people,” he writes on X.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also calls the “historic” agreement a “huge win.”
