Trump signs Greenland security pact

US President Donald Trump has signed a security agreement covering Greenland, a Danish autonomous territory that he had repeatedly said the US should acquire.

Trump signed the pact in New York on Tuesday with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

The agreement allows the United States to establish new military bases in two locations in the east and south of the Arctic territory.

Frederiksen said the deal will strengthen common security and boost common deterrence.

Nielsen noted that Greenland matters for North American security and for transatlantic security. He added that the agreement "reflects that we understand our responsibility and act accordingly."

Greenlanders, along with European nations, had criticized Trump's calls for US ownership as an infringement of sovereignty. The Washington Post says the security pact "comes at the cost of deeply strained relations with some transatlantic allies."

Ahead of the signing, Trump told the UN General Assembly, "No US adversary will ever be permitted to establish a military presence in Greenland anymore or make sensitive investments there without our express written approval." Trump indicated that he hopes to counter Chinese or Russian influence in the Arctic zone.