Trump’s Greenland deal: A triumph of optics?

Published On 20 Sep 202620 Sep 2026The new agreement between the United States, Denmark and Greenland on the security of the Danish autonomous territory appears to be good news. It may finally put an end to nearly two years of repeated intimidation of Greenlanders by Washington and ensure that the stated red lines on territorial integrity and sovereignty are not crossed.We still do not know exactly what the agreement contains, but the emerging picture is close to a best-case scenario for Denmark and Greenland. The dispute appears to have been moved back onto the diplomatic playing field, where questions of international law, investment and security policy can be handled.At the same time, US President Donald Trump can present himself as a winner to his supporters, which was necessary to de-escalate tensions. His political allies and aligned media outlets are already praising his negotiating strategy, arguing that sustained pressure worked and left the US better placed to expand its military presence in Greenland — an area that is, admittedly, vital to US national security.But there is a catch: much of this was already possible under the existing 1951 defence agreement, which was upd...