The United States is pursuing a full revision of its defense agreement with Denmark, aiming to remove all forms of restrictions on its military presence in Greenland. According to information reported by Bloomberg, Washington wants to rewrite key provisions of the agreement, effectively turning the island into an area of unrestricted military activity, in negotiations that have become a central arena for meeting Donald Trump’s demands.

The original 1951 agreement, as amended in 2004, stipulates that the U.S. must “consult and inform” Denmark and Greenland before any “significant change” to its military operations or facilities on the island. This is precisely the clause that American negotiators want to remove or weaken, so that no legal or political obligation remains.

Sources familiar with the talks told Bloomberg that the U.S. side is pushing for language that would guarantee absolute freedom of movement, without time limits or operational constraints. The final details of the agreement remain open and are still under negotiation.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said that “if this agreement is finalized—and President Trump is particularly optimistic—the United States will achieve all of its strategic objectives in Greenland, at minimal cost and on a permanent basis.” She added that further details would be announced once all parties reach a final agreement. The Danish embassy in Washington declined to comment.

This approach aligns with Trump’s own public statements. On Wednesday, he announced that there is a “framework for a future agreement” on Greenland following his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos, though he did not provide further details.

“We will all work together. NATO will also be involved,” Trump said, implying that the agreement would not concern only bilateral U.S.–Denmark relations but the alliance as a whole. Upon returning from Davos, he noted that within two weeks he would make it clear whether Copenhagen has given its consent.

In an interview with Fox Business, Trump was even more explicit about his intentions: “We will have all the military access we want. We’ll be able to put whatever we need in Greenland. It’s essentially full access, with no end and no time limit.”

A final agreement could ease what many describe as the most serious crisis in transatlantic relations since the founding of NATO after World War II. According to earlier Bloomberg reports, the framework outlined by Trump includes, among other things, the deployment of U.S. missile systems, mining rights aimed at excluding Chinese interests, and a strengthened NATO presence in the Arctic. In return, the American president would commit to not imposing tariffs on European countries.

This strategy marks a shift from recent decades, during which the U.S. significantly reduced its presence in Greenland after the end of the Cold War. From as many as 17 bases, the U.S. today maintains one main facility with around 150 military personnel and more than 300 contractors, many of whom are Danish or Greenlandic.

It remains unclear, however, to what extent Denmark and Greenland will accept changes of this scale. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that both sides are open to a “further expansion” of the 1951 defense agreement, stressing that this must be done “in a proper and respectful manner.”

Former U.S. officials note that the existing framework already leaves Washington with significant room for maneuver, and that both Denmark and Greenland have for years encouraged a greater American military presence, as it also supports the local economy. As Iris Ferguson, former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, commented, “there was always a willingness to talk” whenever the Americans sought greater involvement—a reality that helps explain why Greenland now finds itself at the center of a geostrategic bargaining process with global implications.