Late Tuesday afternoon, Danish time, Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen (Socialdemokratiet, S), the chair of Naalakkersuisut, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and the American president, Donald Trump, finally signed the long-awaited defense agreement at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

For months and years, Greenland and Denmark have been battered by pressure from Donald Trump, who has long wanted American control – or outright ownership – of Greenland and who on several occasions has refused to rule out using military or economic force to achieve it.

Now the full wording of the historic agreement has finally been made public, and it paints a more nuanced picture than Trump’s victory declarations.

On some points, the United States gets what the president promised – on others, the Danish and Greenlandic line holds firm.

The specific differences can be found in the text of the agreement itself, set against the old defense agreement from 1951. Here are some of the key points from the new agreement:

The agreement’s duration

1951: As long as the 1949 NATO treaty remains in force, the agreement has no independent expiration date.

2026: Trump’s earlier interpretation is confirmed here. Under Article XI, the agreement has »no end date« and can be changed only if both parties agree.

Bases, personnel, and military activity

1951: The United States has the right to build facilities and station personnel, but only within delineated areas and under Danish authorities’ rules. Under the 2004 Igaliku Agreement, the United States must also obtain permission from both Greenland and Denmark to establish new bases.

2026: The approval requirement is carried forward in a formalized form. The United States is immediately permitted to expand Pituffik Space Base and build new defense facilities at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, while additional bases require a specific proposal and subsequent mutual agreement in a standing Danish-Greenlandic-American committee, with automatic escalation to department and ministerial level if the parties fail to reach agreement within 90 days.

Right of consultation and co-determination

1951: The Igaliku Agreement also obliges the United States to consult and inform Denmark and Greenland ahead of significant changes in military activity, and Denmark has until now served as the intermediary.

2026: The agreement does not give the United States an explicit right of veto. On the contrary, the duty to consult is carried forward and further formalized through the permanent committee, which going forward is to closely monitor implementation – but in return the United States gains the right to raise concerns if construction near a defense area is deemed to threaten its security.

American control over investment

The new agreement does not give the United States a direct approval right with respect to foreign investments. Instead, Greenland itself – in cooperation with Denmark and through its own screening laws – is to prevent investors from countries outside NATO, the European Union, or NATO’s partner circle from gaining control of, or insight into, particularly sensitive sectors such as critical infrastructure and resource extraction, unless the parties agree otherwise.