Trump announces ‘framework’ for Greenland deal and drops tariff threat

U.S. President Donald Trump shook the world once again this Wednesday via Truth Social. He posted the message at the end of a busy day of meetings at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The post read: “Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, 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.”

Under this framework with Rutte, Trump says he will not impose the tariffs that were scheduled to take effect on February 1. “Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland. Further information will be made available as discussions progress,” said Trump, naming in the post his Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff — a longtime friend — and “others” as the officials responsible for the negotiations. “They will report directly to me,” he concluded.

It was not immediately clear what the framework entails, nor whether it involves an expansion of the U.S. Bases on the world’s largest island, which he had earlier referred to in a fiery speech as “a giant piece of ice” and which has a population of about 56,000 people.

The first apparent consequence seems to be the shelving of the tariffs he threatened a couple of weeks ago against European countries that responded to his imperial ambitions by sending small troop detachments. But there are no details yet about what those countries are required to do, or what commitments they have made, for the U.S. To lift the tariffs.

In Davos, where the world’s technological, political, and economic powers gather each January, Trump had taken the stage hours earlier to announce that he will not use force to seize Greenland, an issue that has kept the world on edge. “People thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” he said.

In his address at Davos, however, Trump made it clear that he wants control of Greenland for national and international security reasons. He claimed he would pursue negotiations — but left Europeans with a thinly veiled warning: “You can say yes, and we’ll be very appreciative, or you can say no and we will remember.”

According to the Truth Social post, it seems these negotiations are beginning to take effect. In a casual encounter in the corridors of Davos, Trump told reporters shortly after posting on Truth Social that the pact with Rutte gives the United States “everything” the country needs. When a reporter asked whether that included ownership of Greenland, he replied: “It’s a long-term agreement. Infinite… it will last forever,” he insisted.

Although it is too early to draw firm conclusions, the available details suggest a shift from Trump’s previous statements, in which he claimed he wanted to take control of Greenland by any means necessary. Those threats had sparked a deep crisis between Europe and the United States. The context for this shift is marked by clear opposition from European countries and Canada, as well as turbulence in the markets. Markets reacted quickly and positively after the news broke.

NATO sources have so far only confirmed that Rutte held meetings throughout the day in Davos with representatives from the United States and other involved countries, aiming to reach a solution “viable for all.”

During one of the discussions Rutte held this Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss city, the Dutch leader again refused to comment publicly on the situation, arguing that any statement could undermine his ability to “defuse the tension” following Trump’s threats regarding Greenland, which had intensified in recent days. “You can be assured that I’m working on this issue behind the scenes, but I cannot do it in public,” he added.

The European Council has confirmed that it will go ahead with the extraordinary summit of European leaders scheduled for Thursday, convened precisely in response to the crisis triggered by Trump’s ambitions over Greenland and his now-withdrawn threat to impose tariffs on the eight countries that sent a small group of troops to the Arctic island.

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