US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Greenland and Denmark signed an agreement on Tuesday that permits a larger US military presence on Greenland and may resolve a stand-off over the strategically located and mineral-rich island.
The agreement, signed during Trump’s visit to the UN General Assembly in New York, stops short of the US president’s demand that the United States adopt Greenland as a US territory to head off the growing Arctic presence of Russia and China.
But the deal does permit a greater US military presence on the icy territory, an option that emerged as Greenland leaders argued against a complete US takeover.
A text of the deal released after the signing event said the US can establish a “Golden Dome” defence system in Greenland as a shield against ballistic missile threats. The shortest route from Europe to North America runs via the Arctic island, which is the location of the northernmost US military base.