By Gram Slattery and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Greenland and Denmark signed an agreement on Tuesday that permits a larger US military presence on Greenland and may resolve a standoff over the ‌strategically located and mineral-rich island.

The agreement, signed during Trump's visit to the UN General Assembly in New York, stops short of Trump's ‌demand that the US adopt Greenland as a US territory to head off the growing Arctic presence of Russia and China.

But the deal does permit a greater US military presence on ​the icy territory, an option that emerged as Greenland leaders argued against a complete US takeover.

A text of the deal released after the signing event said the US can establish a "Golden Dome" defense system in Greenland as a shield against ballistic missile threats. The shortest route from...