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President Donald Trump’s newly announced security agreement with Denmark and Greenland would block U.S. adversaries from establishing bases in Greenland and limit adversarial investments on the island, a move one security expert says limits China and Russia’s ambitions in the region.
Speaking on “Fox & Friends Weekend,” Center for Security Policy senior fellow and retired U.S. Marine Col. Grant Newsham compared Trump’s pact with Denmark and Greenland to the U.S. acquisition of Alaska in 1867. Newsham argued the agreement secures vital North American defense geography while limiting Russian and Chinese expansion.
“This is a big deal. This is right up there with Secretary of State Seward getting Alaska,” Newsham said Saturday.
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President Donald Trump stands outside the main entrance of Áras an Uachtaráin before his formal departure on Sept. 12, 2026, in Dublin, Ireland. (Artur Widak/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“It’s a little different, because we haven’t bought the place, but it locks up or brings into the fold, really, key terrain, key geography, up on our northeast,” he explained. “Russia and the Chinese, in particular, they can’t get in there militarily, and they cannot get in economically.”
On Friday, the president announced the deal in a post on Truth Social, saying the agreement would give the U.S. permanent control over security in Greenland.
“I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has entered into an Agreement with The Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland, that gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many U.S. concerns,” Trump wrote.
“There will be NO COST to the United States! At my direction, we worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the security of Greenland, and the United States of America,” he added.
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Denmark and Greenland have emphasized that the agreement, which requires formal signatures and parliamentary procedures before taking effect, will preserve their “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
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Newsham compared the move to Trump’s previous foreign policy decisions, arguing the Greenland agreement fits what he sees as a broader strategy to defend the U.S. homeland.
“Look at how the Chinese have been rolled back in Panama. And look what President Trump has done with Venezuela. You can see that there’s a plan here for defending our homeland. And this really is a big deal, to put it in simple terms,” Newsham said.
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Demonstrators hold Greenlandic flags and signs outside the U.S. Consulate before marching in protest of President Donald Trump’s push for the United States to acquire Greenland on Jan. 17, 2026, in Nuuk, Greenland. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Newsham said he believes the agreement gives Washington the freedom it needs to keep adversaries out of Greenland, though he predicted China and Russia would voice opposition.
“They’ll complain. They won’t like it, but there’s not much they can do about it,” Newsham said. “They’ll probably step up their activities in the territories they have up there. But nonetheless, this is a huge advance for the United States and our position.”
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also highlighted the president’s plans to expand the U.S. military presence in Greenland, reposting part of Trump’s statement: “We will immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland, of which there are many.”
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the Greenland agreement, writing on X, “This historic deal is a huge win for the United States and the American people. Thanks to President Trump’s vision and leadership, this historic agreement permanently guarantees U.S. security interests in the Arctic at zero cost to the U.S. taxpayer.”
“Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area. This deal permanently and completely addresses our national security concerns in Greenland,” Rubio added.