Bernd Debusmann JrWhite House reporter
President Donald Trump says the US is exploring a potential deal on Greenland after talks with Nato as he backed off plans to impose tariffs on European allies that had opposed his plans for America to acquire the island.
On social media, Trump said a “very productive meeting” with Nato’s leader had led to the “framework” of a potential agreement over Greenland and the Arctic. He offered few details.
Nato also described the meeting as “very productive” – and said discussions on the framework mentioned by Trump would focus on ensuring Arctic security.
Earlier, Trump told the World Economic Forum in Davos that he would not use military force but wanted talks to secure ownership of the territory.
On Truth Social on Wednesday, the US president said: “We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region.
“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all Nato Nations.”
He did not say if the proposal included American ownership of the autonomous Danish dependent territory, but told a US cable network the plan might involve mineral rights.
Further information would be made available “as discussions progress”, Trump said on Truth Social.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would “report directly” to him, he added, as negotiations continued.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in a statement: “The day is ending on a better note than it began.”
He added: “Now, let’s sit down and find out how we can address the American security concerns in the Arctic while respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
In the hours that followed, some details trickled out.
Trump told CNBC that the possible deal could last “forever” and might involve mineral rights and the planned Golden Dome missile defence system, which Trump has envisioned as a shield of interceptors and detectors spanning land, sea and space to protect the US from long-range missile strikes.
Along with Greenland’s strategic location, the Trump administration has spoken about its vast – and largely untapped – reserves of rare earth minerals, many of which are crucial for technologies including mobile phones and electric vehicles.
Trump also told CNN in Davos, Switzerland, that the deal framework for Greenland was “pretty far along” and “gets us everything we needed to get”, especially “real national security and international security”.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said he had not discussed the key issue of Danish sovereignty over Greenland in his meeting with Trump.
He told Fox News the “issue did not come up anymore in my conversations tonight with the president”.
Trump had previously dismissed the idea of leasing Greenland, saying that “you defend ownership. You don’t defend leases.”
Nato spokeswoman Allison Hart said in a statement that during the meeting, Trump and Rutte had “discussed the critical significance of security in the Arctic region to all Allies, including the United States”.
“Discussions among Nato Allies on the framework the President referenced will focus on ensuring Arctic security through the collective efforts of Allies, especially the seven Arctic Allies,” she added.
“Negotiations between Denmark, Greenland, and the United States will go forward aimed at ensuring that Russia and China never gain a foothold – economically or militarily – in Greenland.”
According to the New York Times, the potential plan could grant the US ownership of small pockets of the territory’s land, where American military bases could be built.
Officials who attended a Nato meeting on Wednesday told the newspaper the suggested arrangement would be similar to UK bases on Cyprus, which are part of British Overseas Territories.
Under existing agreements with Denmark, the US can bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland. It already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base in the north-western tip of the territory.
Trump had been threatening to place a 10% tariff “on any and all goods” sent from the UK to the US from 1 February, increasing to 25% from 1 June, until a deal was reached for Washington to purchase Greenland from Denmark.
The same would apply to goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland – all of which are members of Nato, the defence alliance founded in 1949.
The US president dropped that threat on Wednesday after the talks with Rutte, saying in his post on Truth Social that he would cancel imposing the new levies.
“Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st.”
In his speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, Trump said he was “seeking immediate negotiations” to acquire Greenland, but insisted the US would not take the territory with force.
“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive force. We’d be unstoppable, but we won’t do that,” 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 US to take control of Greenland from Denmark, saying: “You can say yes and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no and we will remember.”
In his own speech at Davos a day earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron criticised Trump’s previous threat of import taxes.
He said an “endless accumulation of new tariffs” from the US was “fundamentally unacceptable”.
Macron was among those urging the EU to consider retaliatory options against new US levies.
In his speech, Trump took aim at Macron, saying France had been “screwing” the US for decades.
The US president also took a swipe at Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who urged “middle powers” such as Australia, Argentina and his own country to band together when he spoke at Davos a day earlier.
In response, the US president accused Carney of being ungrateful to the US.
“Canada lives because of the United States,” Trump said. “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”
