On Friday, US President Donald Trump announced that an agreement had been reached with Denmark and Greenland on defence and investment matters in the strategically important Arctic region.
According to the statement, the United States will gain the opportunity to expand its military presence on the island, including permanent rights to bases, access and overflights.
The agreement also prohibits countries that are not members of NATO from stationing military bases or troops in Greenland and introduces mechanisms for monitoring investment in sensitive sectors.
Trump stressed that the treaty is of indefinite duration and provides the United States with "permanent control over security and all other needs" in Greenland.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and the leader of Greenland confirmed that the document will strengthen common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic, while fully preserving Denmark's sovereignty and the Greenlanders' right to self-determination.
The signing of the pact is scheduled for next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The agreement was the result of negotiations following Trump's earlier statements about his intention to purchase Greenland, but in the end it does not provide for the transfer of control over the territory.
The parties note that the treaty will enable NATO allies to counter more effectively attempts by Russia and China to gain a foothold in the region, without affecting the existing rights of the local population.
How will this step affect the balance of power in the Arctic in the long term?
The details of the agreement have not yet been published in full, but it is already clear that it will replace or supplement the 1951 treaty on the defence of Greenland.
