President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States has reached a “framework of a future deal” to acquire Greenland following a high-stakes meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The presidential announcement, made from the World Economic Forum in Davos, reverberated across NATO and European capitals, where leaders have been scrambling to respond to the administration’s push to purchase the resource-rich Arctic island from Denmark.
“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,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social. “This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations.”
The President said he would suspend a 10 percent tariff on eight European nations — Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland — that had been scheduled to take effect February 1 in response to their military mobilizations near Greenland.
In June, the tariffs would have escalated to 25 percent.
“Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect,” Trump said, adding that negotiations with Rutte were “highly productive.”
The move follows months of mounting tension between the United States and Denmark over control of Greenland — a strategically vital landmass in the Arctic that hosts a U.S. Air Force base at Thule and occupies a key position between North America and Europe.
Trump has argued repeatedly that Greenland’s location and resources make it “imperative for National and World Security.”
“No nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland, other than the United States,” Trump said earlier this week. “We’re a great power — much greater than people even understand. I think they found that out two weeks ago in Venezuela.”
“This enormous, unsecured island is actually part of North America on the northern frontier of the Western Hemisphere,” the President added. “That’s our territory.”
Before the Davos meeting, Trump blasted Denmark’s refusal to negotiate, calling the decision “shortsighted” and warning there would be “consequences” for any European powers that attempted to militarize the Arctic against U.S. interests. “I’ll be discussing it with this man right here,” he said, motioning to Rutte. “He’s frankly more important.”
The White House confirmed that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will lead negotiations on the Greenland acquisition and report directly to the President. Trump said discussions are already underway regarding the deployment of a new “Golden Dome” missile defense system for the Arctic region.
The President’s announcement immediately stirred debate within NATO. European officials, while declining to comment publicly on the details of Trump’s proposal, have privately expressed alarm that the U.S. might unilaterally assert control over Greenland if Denmark continues to resist.
Rutte, who assumed the role of NATO Secretary General in late 2025, reportedly told Trump he was “committed to finding a way forward on Greenland,” according to a text message shared by the President on social media.
The statement marks the second time Trump has moved toward acquiring Greenland. He first floated the idea in 2019 during his first term, calling it a “large real estate deal,” though that effort was largely dismissed by European officials at the time.
Trump’s renewed push for Greenland comes as the United States is reasserting its dominance over global institutions and reclaiming influence in regions long neglected by previous administrations.
“If consummated,” Trump wrote in his official statement, “this solution will be a great one for the United States of America and all NATO Nations. Further information will be made available as discussions progress.”
