President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States had reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland granting Washington what he described as “permanent control” over the island’s security and other needs.

“We will immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland, of which there are many,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

Greenland already hosts a U.S. military presence under a decades-old defence agreement with Denmark.

However, the newly announced deal appears to fall well short of President Donald Trump’s previous demand for the territory to become part of the United States.

Danish and Greenlandic officials have stressed that the agreement recognises Denmark’s sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.

Greenland has repeatedly maintained that it is not for sale, while Trump’s earlier push to acquire the territory drew strong opposition from European allies.

Trump said Friday that he was satisfied with the agreement, claiming it “completely” addresses “ALL of our many U.S. concerns.”

“There will be NO COST to the United States,” he wrote.

Denmark’s Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Friday that the three governments expect to sign the agreement during next week’s United Nations General Assembly.