A closed circle: Here are the key players who clinched the Greenland deal
Meet the key figures who, behind closed doors, negotiated the historic defense agreement between Denmark, Greenland and the United States.
The road to the new, historic defense agreement has been turbulent. But after months of secret, intense negotiations, Denmark, Greenland, and the United States signed the text of the agreement Tuesday afternoon in New York.
Behind the scenes, a small circle of key figures from the three nations has been pulling the strings and shaping the future of the Danish Realm – from the high-stakes meeting at the White House in January to the final signature.
Here we shine a light on the most important players behind what has been called both a diplomatic masterstroke and a piece of foreign-policy history.
The Permanent Secretary in the Chairman's Department in Greenland
Hans-Peder Barlach Christensen
The top civil servant to the chair of Naalakkersuisut, Greenland’s government, since 2019, Hans-Peder Barlach Christensen, has been at the very center of the negotiations over the new defense agreement. Trained as an ethnographer, he has a long career in public administration behind him, including as director of Kanukoka, Greenland’s National Association of Municipalities, and as head of Greenland’s Social Services Agency.
Permanent Secretary of State at the Prime Minister's Office in Denmark
Barbara Bertelsen
Bertelsen has served as permanent secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office since 2020, making her Denmark’s top civil servant. In that role, she has overarching administrative responsibility for coordinating the government’s work, including matters handled by the government’s Coordination Committee – where the Greenland negotiations have been a standing item throughout 2026.
Chief of staff and special adviser, the Danish Prime Minister’s Office
Martin Justesen
Justesen is the chief of staff and a special adviser in the Prime Minister’s Office, making him one of Mette Frederiksen’s closest aides. As chief of staff, he does not have a direct negotiating role with the United States or Greenland, but instead serves as the prime minister’s key adviser and coordinator on major political matters.
Permanent secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen
Since 2022, as head of Denmark’s negotiating delegation, he has sat at the head of the table opposite the United States and Greenland. According to Danish Broadcasting Corporation, he has traveled several times in secret to Washington, D.C., to bring the negotiations to a close. His primary task has been to steadfastly safeguard the the Kingdom of Denmark’s sovereignty.
Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor at the National Security Council
Michael ’Mike’ Needham
Michael Needham har som særlig rådgiver og leder af det amerikanske udenrigsministeries planlægningsstab siddet for den amerikanske bordende i Grønlands-forhandlingerne. Efter sin forfremmelse til vicenationalsikkerhedsrådgiver i maj 2026 har han fortsat ledet den amerikanske delegationen i forhandlingerne om Grønland.
Michael Needham, as a special adviser, counselor of the U.S. Department of State and director of policy planning, has been sitting at the American end of the table in the Greenland negotiations. After his promotion to deputy national security adviser in May 2026, he has continued to lead the American delegation in the talks over Greenland.
Deputy National Security Advisor at the National Security Council
Andy Baker
Since May 2026, Baker has served as deputy national security adviser, alongside Michael Needham. In that capacity, as Needham’s co-equal on the National Security Council, he has been part of the American leadership of the Greenland negotiations from the spring of 2026 up to the agreement in September.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Greenland
Mininnguaq Kleist
As head of Greenland’s negotiating delegation and a former EU chief representative, he has played a pivotal role in the trilateral talks with the United States and Denmark. He served on the “high-level working group” that helped clinch the deal for the final signing in New York.
The Ambassador of Denmark to the United States, Washington D.C.
Jesper Møller Sørensen
Denmark’s ambassador to the United States since 2023 has previously served as ambassador to Pakistan and as the foreign policy director. He has been dubbed ’the man of miracles’ – known for his viral fist bump with Lars Løkke – and has continually negotiated the Greenland question directly with the White House National Security Council.
U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark, Copenhagen
Ken Howery
Howery is the United States ambassador to Denmark, appointed by Trump in December 2025, and the entire triangular drama among the United States, Greenland, and Denmark really began to gather steam when he was named. He has served as Washington’s local diplomatic anchor in Copenhagen, alongside the more formal negotiations in Washington.
Head of Representation at Government of Greenland, Washington D.C.
Jacob Isbosethsen
As former head of representation in Beijing and Reykjavik, he is now Greenland’s man in Washington and the ongoing point of contact with the U.S. administration. He has served on the working group since January 2026, and the Naalakkersuisut has praised his work for his exceptional skill and integrity.
Editorial
Text: Cornelius Dohn
Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen, Andrew Harnik/Ritzau Scanpix
Digital production: Mathias Lystbæk
Top illustration: Tomas Østergren
In the newsroom: Philip Flores og Tine Kirkensgaard