According to BBC journalists, the United States has been holding closed-door talks with Denmark in recent months on expanding its military presence in Greenland.

Citing a source, the report says the Pentagon plans to open three new bases in the southern part of the island. A White House official said Donald Trump’s administration is optimistic about the talks and believes the dialogue is moving in the right direction.

The new facilities are expected to be located in southern Greenland. Their main task would be to monitor Russian and Chinese maritime activity in the North Atlantic, particularly in the area between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom.

Earlier, Danish authorities did not rule out the possibility of hosting additional U.S. military sites in Greenland. Denmark’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that talks with Washington are taking place, but declined to disclose details.

At the same time, Trump has repeatedly said Greenland should become part of the United States. In January, he stated plans to establish control over the island, citing U.S. national security. Denmark’s Defense Ministry responded by saying it was ready to take countermeasures in the event of a possible invasion.