Bernd Debusmann Jr.white house reporter
US President Donald Trump said he was exploring a potential deal for Greenland after talks with NATO, dropping plans to impose tariffs on European countries that had opposed US plans to acquire Greenland.
Trump said on social media that “very productive meetings” with NATO leaders had led to a “framework” of a potential agreement covering Greenland and the Arctic, but offered few details.
NATO also described the meeting as “very productive” and said discussions on the framework mentioned by Trump would focus on ensuring security in the Arctic.
Earlier, President Trump told the World Economic Forum (WEF) that he would not use military force but wanted dialogue to secure territorial ownership.
“We have laid out the framework for a future agreement regarding Greenland and the entire Arctic region,” Trump said on Truth Social on Wednesday.
“If this solution is completed, it will be a great solution for the United States and all NATO countries.”
He added that further information would be provided “as discussions progress.”
President Trump added that as negotiations continue, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Wittkoff will report directly to him.
“The day ends on a better note than it started,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lökke Rasmussen said in a statement.
“Now let’s sit down and figure out how we can address America’s security concerns in the Arctic while respecting the Kingdom of Denmark’s red lines,” he added.
In the hours that followed, several details emerged.
Trump told CNBC the deal could last “forever” and could include mineral rights and the Golden Dome missile defense system, envisioned as a shield of interceptors and detectors across land, sea and space to protect the United States from long-range missile attacks.
The Trump administration has spoken of Greenland’s position around the world, along with its vast and largely untapped reserves of rare earths, many of which are critical to technologies including cell phones and electric vehicles.
Trump also told CNN in Davos, Switzerland, that the negotiating framework for Greenland has been “in the works for quite some time” and “we can get everything we need to get.” This is especially true of “true national and international security.”
But he did not say whether the proposal included U.S. ownership of Greenland.
Trump has previously dismissed the idea of leasing Greenland, saying, “You’re defending ownership, not leasing.”
According to the New York Times, the plan could give the United States ownership of a small portion of the territory where U.S. military bases could be built.
Officials attending the NATO meeting on Wednesday told the newspaper that the proposed deployment would be similar to the British base in Cyprus, which is part of the British Overseas Territory.
Under an existing agreement with Denmark, the United States can send as many troops as it wants to Greenland. There are already more than 100 soldiers stationed at the Pitupik base in the northwest corner of the territory.
“During their meeting, President Trump and Luther discussed how important Arctic regional security is to all allies, including the United States,” NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said in a statement.
She added: “Discussions among NATO allies on the framework mentioned by the President will focus on ensuring Arctic security through the joint efforts of our allies, particularly the seven Arctic allies.”
“Negotiations between Denmark, Greenland and the United States will be aimed at preventing Russia and China from gaining a foothold in Greenland economically or militarily.”
President Trump said he plans to impose a 10% tariff on all goods sent from Britain to the United States starting February 1, increasing to 25% from June 1 until the United States agrees to buy Greenland from Denmark.
This also applies to products from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland, which are members of NATO, a defense alliance created in 1949.
In a speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, President Trump said he was “seeking immediate negotiations” to acquire Greenland, but insisted the United States would not occupy the territory by force.
“Unless we decide to use excessive force, we’re going to get nothing,” Trump said. “I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”
He also urged world leaders to allow the United States to take control of Greenland from Denmark, saying: “If you say yes, we will be very grateful. Or if you say no, we will remember.”
But Trump also said he would not accept any agreement on U.S. use of Greenland that falls short of full ownership.
French President Emmanuel Macron criticized President Trump’s previous tariff threats in a speech in Davos a day earlier and said it was “fundamentally unacceptable for the United States to endlessly accumulate new tariffs.”
Macron was among those who urged the EU to consider retaliatory options for the new US levy.
In his speech, President Trump took aim at Macron, saying France had “screwed” the United States for decades.
The U.S. president also criticized Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who urged “middle powers” such as Australia, Argentina and his country to unite in a speech in Davos a day earlier.
In response, the US president accused Carney of being ungrateful to the United States.
President Trump said, “Canada lives because of the United States.” “Mark, remember that next time you make a statement.”
