President Donald Trump backed down on a threatened tariff campaign tied to Greenland and said he had agreed with the head of NATO on a “framework of a future deal” on Arctic security, according to a post on his social media site Wednesday. The reversal came shortly after Trump used his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos to press that the U.S. wanted Greenland and warned he would not rule out using “excessive strength and force.”
In his Davos remarks, Trump said he was asking for territory that was “cold and poorly located,” adding that the U.S. had effectively saved Europe during World War II. He then spoke about NATO, saying, “It’s a very small ask compared to what we have given them for many, many decades.” He told the audience, “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be frankly unstoppable. But I won’t do that, OK?”
After the speech, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance would stand with the U.S. if it is attacked, and Rutte added, “You can be assured, absolutely.” Shortly afterward, Trump posted that he was canceling the tariff threats.
Trump’s Tuesday-to-Wednesday turn included a claim that further talks on Greenland were being held in connection with the Golden Dome missile defense program. The report described Golden Dome as a multilayered, $175 billion system that, for the first time, will put U.S. weapons in space, and said Trump did not offer details beyond saying the discussions were still being worked out.
The Associated Press report also described a potential element of the emerging arrangement: a European official familiar with the matter, who spoke anonymously, said NATO members had discussed that Denmark and the alliance would work with the U.S. to build more U.S. military bases on Greenland. The official said it was not immediately clear if that idea was included in the framework Trump announced.
Before Trump canceled the tariffs, the report said he had threatened steep U.S. import taxes on Denmark and seven other allies unless they negotiated a transfer of the semi-autonomous territory. The planned schedule described in the report was tariffs starting at 10% next month and climbing to 25% in June. The AP said the move was aimed at pressing for a favorable agreement and that Trump’s focus at Davos appeared to raise fears of tension within NATO.
Danish officials publicly responded to Trump’s reversal. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen welcomed Trump ruling out taking “Greenland by force” and pausing ”the trade war with Europe.” In a statement, Rasmussen said, “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.” The report said it was not immediately clear how canceling the tariffs would change Denmark’s calculations about security concerns and sovereignty.
Trump argued in the Davos speech that the U.S. needs Greenland for national security and to counter threats from Russia and China in the Arctic region, even though the U.S. already has a large military base there, according to the report. The AP said Greenland’s status also remained a point of contention inside NATO, with alliance members insisting Greenland is not for sale and cannot be wrested from Denmark.
While the international situation shifted, Greenland’s government told residents to be prepared for a crisis. It published a handbook in English and Greenlandic urging residents to ensure they have sufficient food, water, fuel and supplies at home to survive for five days. Tony Jakobsen, in Nuuk, said he bought supplies and thought Trump’s rhetoric was “just threats… but it’s better to be ready than not ready.”
Other Greenland residents reacted with skepticism about Trump’s language. Johnny Hedemann said it was “insulting” that Trump “talks about the Greenlandic people and the Greenlandic nation as just an ice cube,” and he said, “Living in this nature, you have to be prepared for almost anything. And now there’s another threat — and that’s Trump,” while heading out to buy a camping stove and instant mashed potatoes.
The AP reported that during Trump’s Davos appearance, he mistakenly referred to Greenland as Iceland four times. The report also said Trump told the audience, “This enormous unsecured island is actually part of North America,” and added, “That’s our territory.”