格陵兰安全协议签了：美国多两个基地，主权不变

In 2019, many people heard the name Greenland for the first time because Trump said he wanted to buy the island.

Greenland is the world's largest island; about 80% of it is covered by ice, and only 56,000 people live there.

In January this year, Trump again said he wanted Greenland; Greenlanders were angry and Denmark's government was nervous.

On September 22, this story took a new step.

In New York, the leaders of the US, Denmark and Greenland signed a security agreement together.

It was signed on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly; at this time every year, many countries' leaders go to New York for meetings.

Seeing the news, many people's first question was: has the US finally gotten Greenland?

The answer is no.

To understand why, let's first look at what the agreement says.

First, bases.

A base is a place where an army lives and works long-term, with planes, people and lots of equipment.

The US already had a base in northern Greenland, called Pituffik.

In 1951, the US and Denmark signed an agreement, and US forces have been in Greenland ever since.

This base has been used for many years; the agreement says the US can make it bigger and more modern.

In addition, the US can build two more new bases in southern and eastern Greenland.

Second, planes.

The agreement says US military planes can fly over Greenland and land in many places.

Military means things to do with armies and security.

Third, other countries.

If a country not in NATO wants to put troops in Greenland, all three parties must agree.

NATO is an organization of 32 countries that protect each other's security; the US and Denmark are both members.

Also, investors from outside NATO and the EU will be blocked from investing in some important sectors.

To invest means to put money into a place to do business, hoping to earn more later.

Fourth, a plan Trump likes a lot, called Golden Dome.

Golden Dome is for stopping missiles; a missile is a weapon fired from far away.

The agreement lets the US place part of this plan in Greenland.

Hearing this, you might think the US got a lot.

So does Greenland still belong to Denmark and the people of Greenland?

Yes; the agreement says clearly that Denmark's and Greenland's sovereignty does not change.

Sovereignty means who makes the final decisions about a place.

So the US can have more bases there, but the land is not American.

The agreement also says that if Greenland one day becomes its own country, it must stay in NATO.

The agreement has no end date; once signed, it stays in force.

The leaders of all three parties were very pleased.

Trump said the agreement is very good for both Europe and the US.

Denmark's prime minister said it is an agreement that can last forever.

Greenland's prime minister Nielsen said: your security is our security, and our security is your security.

However, signing is not the last step.

On October 12, Greenland's parliament debated the agreement for the first time.

A parliament is where people elected by the public meet to decide laws; Greenland's has 31 members.

Most members said they support it, but some asked how much money and how many jobs Greenland will really get from it.

Parliament still has to debate it once more and then vote.

Only after the vote passes does the agreement truly begin.

Looking back: in January Trump was still saying he wanted Greenland; nine months later, what he got is more bases, and the island still belongs to others.

If you were a Greenlander, would you see this result as a win or a loss?