DAVOS: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had reached a framework for a deal over Greenland following a meeting with Nato chief Mark Rutte, and that he would therefore waive tariffs scheduled to hit European allies.
In a speech on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Trump for the first time ruled out using force, but demanded “immediate negotiations” to acquire the island from Denmark.“We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic region,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.Meanwhile, the European Parliament decided to suspend its work on a trade deal between the 27-member bloc and the United States, a parliament member said, following President Trump’s repeated threats to take control over Greenland.
The US president did not provide any details on the framework, but added that his threatened tariffs against European countries which were resisting his quest to acquire Greenland was now off the table.“Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st,” Trump wrote.
In a speech that veered from topic to topic, Trump also expressed hope of ending the Ukraine war soon. Trump’s quest to take the strategic Arctic island of Greenland from Nato ally Denmark has deeply shaken the global order and markets.“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,” Trump said.
“I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.”Wall Street stocks opened higher after his speech, and jumped further following his post.
Trump insists mineral-rich Greenland is vital for US and Nato security against Russia and China. But Trump appeared to take the threat of military action off the table, in a dramatic turnaround from his previous threats that the US could use force to take control of the mineral-rich Arctic island.“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,” Trump said. “I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.
All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.” Wall Street stocks opened higher on Wednesday after Trump’s comments. Denmark said it was a “positive” sign that Trump had said he wanted to avoid military force — but stressed that the US president had not backed away from his push to acquire Greenland.“What is quite clear after this speech is that the president’s ambition remains intact,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said. Greenland’s government meanwhile unveiled a new brochure on Wednesday offering advice to the population in the event of a “crisis” in the territory, saying it was an “insurance policy”.
‘Immediate negotiations’
Trump repeatedly pushed his claims to Greenland — which he mistakenly called Iceland several times — during lengthy remarks on the deepest crisis in transatlantic relations for decades. He said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States” and added that Washington would “remember” if Denmark said no. Trump says Greenland is under threat from Russia and China.
The US president also lambasted Europe on a number of fronts from security to tariffs and the economy, saying it was “not heading in the right direction”. Trump flew into Davos by helicopter, stepping onto a red carpet laid in the snow — but he flew into a growing international storm over Greenland. He arrived some two hours behind schedule, after an electrical issue earlier forced Air Force One to turn back to Washington and the president to switch planes.
Europe and Canada had earlier closed ranks against what they view as a threat to the US-led global order from Trump’s territorial ambitions. French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile said Europe would not be bullied. But Trump, who was due to meet a number of leaders in Davos, renewed his attacks on the two leaders, mocking Macron in particular for wearing sunglasses at Davos, which the French president said was because of an eye condition.
‘Thoughtful diplomacy’
Trump also repeatedly expressed doubts on Nato during his speech, saying Washington was treated “so unfairly” and questioning whether the alliance would defend the United States if asked. Nato chief Mark Rutte, whom Trump was due to meet in Davos, said that “thoughtful diplomacy” was needed to resolve the crisis.
The Greenland row has also soured relations with the European Union, which has threatened countermeasures after Trump vowed tariffs of up to 25pc on eight European countries for backing Denmark.
UN chief warns
UN chief Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday of world leaders upending international order in a statement made as President Donald Trump said the United States needs to acquire Greenland in a hardline speech at Davos.“When leaders run roughshod over international law, picking & choosing which rules to follow — they are undermining global order & setting a perilous precedent,” Guterres said on X.“When a handful of individuals can bend global narratives, sway elections, or dictate the terms of public debate, we are facing inequality and the corruption of institutions.”
