President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Denmark and Greenland to expand the US military presence on the Arctic island, describing it as giving Washington “permanent control over security, and all other needs.” Denmark and Greenland said the deal preserves Danish sovereignty and Greenland’s right to self-determination, stopping short of Trump’s previously stated goal of acquiring the territory.

Trump said the US would immediately begin developing a large military presence and that American adversaries could not establish bases, deploy troops or make sensitive investments without written US approval. A State Department official said the agreement bars non-NATO military bases and troop deployments, including those of China and Russia. Trump said the agreement has no expiration date and would impose no cost on the US.

Denmark and Greenland said they plan to sign the agreement next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, with parliamentary approval required before it takes effect. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen described the forthcoming agreement as “binding” and said it would strengthen Arctic and North Atlantic security as well as shared security within NATO and Europe. NATO welcomed the announcement.