President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was dropping his tariff threats over Greenland, adding that a long-term deal framework had been reached in coordination with Denmark and NATO. In a Truth Social post, the 79-year-old stated that NATO Secretary Mark Rutte had ‘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 immediately outline the terms of the framework, and stopped short of saying the United States would own Greenland.
However, the New York Times cited three sources to reveal key terms of the deal. The publication reported that a potential compromise under which Denmark would grant the US sovereignty over limited areas of Greenland to establish military bases has been approved. An official told NYT that Rutte had pushed the idea.
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Russia and China threat
NATO further said that the new deal is aimed at ending Russian and Chinese influence in Greenland. The alliance stated that ‘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’.
Small pockets, minerals and Golden Dome
The NYT cited sources to add that under the deal, Denmark would give the US sovereignty over small pockets of land there, and the US could build military bases.
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The Greenland deal pertains to security and minerals, Reuters reported. The new framework also looks at Trump’s desire for a Golden Dome, a system like Israel’s.
Military force in Greenland?
In his Davos address, Trump said that the US will not use military force to gain control of Greenland.
“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?” Trump said, later adding, “I don’t have to” and “I don’t want to use force.”
