President Donald Trump announced he reached a “framework” of a deal with NATO regarding Greenland on Wednesday after an intense pressure campaign to take U.S. control of the territory. But he offered few specifics — or a clear statement that the U.S. would own the island, as he said he wanted earlier in the day.
“We have a concept of a deal. I think it’s going to be very good for the United States, also for them,” Trump said in an interview with CNBC’s Joe Kernen. Trump later told reporters that the deal gets “everything we need to get.”
Trump told reporters it would be a “long-term deal that lasts forever” and that additional discussions were underway regarding completing the “Golden Dome,” a multilayer missile defense system.
The White House declined to provide further information
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The announcement came hours after Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he spent considerable time on his demands for a U.S. takeover of Greenland. He called for immediate negotiations to ensure complete U.S. control over the island, saying Greenland and the Arctic were insufficiently protected against potential attacks and influence from Russia and China, something which both officials from Greenland and Denmark have denied.
Trump warned European leaders they’d face consequences for not going along with his effort. He already proposed a 10% tariff on eight European countries that opposed his efforts to acquire Greenland, which sent U.S. stock markets downward.
Trump posted on Truth Social later that he had “ a very productive meeting” with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and “formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland.”
He said the tariffs against Denmark and other European countries set to begin on Feb. 1 would no longer be necessary now that a deal had been made.
Rutte’s office confirmed the meeting in a statement, saying negotiations would continue. It did not reference U.S. ownership of the territory.
“The Secretary General had a very productive meeting with President Trump during which they discussed the critical significance of security in the Arctic region to all Allies, including the United States,” NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said in a statement. “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.”
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