Under the deal - yet to be ratified - the UK would hand over the islands but keep the base under a 99-year lease, which could be extended by 40 years

U.S. President Donald Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to acquire ‌Greenland, ​possibly by purchasing it from Denmark, despite the U.S. ‌ally's repeated insistence that it is not for sale.

Since 2005 Moscow has re-opened and modernised tens ‍of Soviet-era military bases, both on its Arctic mainland ​and on the islands off its northern coast.