Trump claims Denmark has handed over permanent control of Greenland's security

Denmark has handed over permanent control of Greenland's security to the United States, President Donald Trump has claimed.

The president has made taking control over the territory a cornerstone of his second term in office, and in a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump claimed his efforts were successful.

Trump said the US has entered into an agreement with Denmark to give the US 'permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many US concerns.'

It was not immediately clear what the president meant by 'all other needs.' 

'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,' Trump wrote, calling it an 'infinite life' agreement.

'Additionally, from now on, no US adversary can EVER have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written approval,' he claimed.

'Additionally, from now on, no U.S. adversary can EVER have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written approval,' Trump said. 

The US will now 'immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland, of which there are many' and will work with the people of Greenland in its development and construction. 

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the US has gained 'permanent control of security, and all other needs, in Greenland'

Trump has framed his push to acquire the island as a national security imperative

Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance tour a US military base in Greenland in March last year. Their tour came amid the President's push to acquire the island

It will allegedly not cost the US anything, Trump insisted, as a senior official told Fox News the deal would even remain in effect if Greenland were to ever become an independent country.

'This solution is a great one for the United States of America, Denmark, Greenland, and all of our Allies,' he wrote.

'We look forward to working with the wonderful people of Denmark and Greenland toward a magnificent future with respect to this large, and highly strategic, parcel of land,' the president continued. 'We will be very protective of it!'

'This is a dream come true for the United States of America, one that is very important, historic, and special,' he concluded. 

The agreement is now expected to be signed during next week's high-level summit at the United Nations General Assembly.

Greenland and Denmark's parliaments will also have to approve it, their governments said in a joint statement. 

'It is gratifying that we are about to enter into an agreement that ensures and strengthens the security of Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark, the United States and the Western alliance,' Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said.

'The agreement recognizes Greenland's interests and our place in international cooperation. It is to the benefit of us all,' he insisted.

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also said the agreement 'recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.' 

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and the Faroe Islands' Prime Minister Beinir Johannesen are pictured on the island territory earlier this month

Under the deal, Denmark and Greenland would no longer have to approve any new US military installations on the island, according to Fox News.

But the deal only allows the US and its allies to make 'sensitive investments' on the territory, including telecommunications infrastructure, undersea capabilities, ports and critical minerals.

The deal also falls short of ceding control of the territory to the US.

Trump framed his push to acquire the island as a national security imperative, citing Greenland's strategic position in the Arctic and China's and Russia's ambitions to expand their presence in the region.

Northern Command boss General Gregory M Guillot has noted how Greenland could host part of an array of radar stations in the Arctic that includes outposts in Alaska and Canada. 

He has also said that the US seeks a deepwater port and a base for US special forces on the island.

Trump first floated the idea of bringing Greenland into the US sphere of influence during his first term in 2019. 

Since returning to the office, he has repeatedly doubled down on that. 

People in Greenland are pictured protesting against President Trump's push to acquire the island in January

But at first, officials in Greenland and Denmark, which holds sovereignty over the self-governing territory, scoffed at Trump's insistence that the US must 'own' Greenland as the president threatened that US forces could be used to take control of the island.

Still, representatives from Denmark and Greenland agreed to sit down with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House advisor Stephen Miller and officials at the State Department and National Security Council. 

The months-long closed-door negotiations focused on allowing American troops to stay on the island indefinitely, cooperation on extracting the island's rich natural resources like rare earths and oil and the possible re-opening of a Second World War-era US military base on the southern coast.

Eventually, officials in Denmark and Greenland came to see the agreement as serving their own security interests, and the three parties reached a deal that satisfied all sides, a source familiar with the negotiations told Fox.

'They recognize at the end of the day that they have a national security concern here as well,' Rubio explained to the outlet.

'Denmark and Greenland understand that they don't have the financial means necessary to defend Greenland if it were to come under attack or be threatened. The United States has the power to do that.' 

Rubio also commended the president for reaching the agreement.

'This historic deal is a huge win for the United States and the American people,' he said in a statement to the Daily Mail.

'Thanks to President Trump's vision and leadership, this historic agreement permanently guarantees US security interests in the Arctic at zero cost to the US taxpayer,' Rubio noted.