Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Washington had secured what he described as “total and permanent access” to Greenland under a new framework arrangement with NATO, as alliance leaders urged member states to strengthen security commitments in the Arctic amid rising concerns over Russia and China.
The announcement followed Trump’s decision to ease earlier tariff threats against Europe and rule out the use of force over Greenland, steps that briefly calmed what had threatened to become the most serious rupture in transatlantic relations in decades.
Markets responded positively, with European stocks rebounding and Wall Street edging back toward record highs. However, diplomats and business leaders questioned whether lasting damage had already been done to trust between the United States and its European allies, according to Reuters.
Key details of the proposed arrangement remain unclear, and Denmark has insisted that its sovereignty over Greenland is not under discussion. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said relations with Washington had taken “a significant hit” over the past week, as European leaders gathered for an emergency summit.
Read More: Europe Draws Red Line on Greenland as Trump Escalates Rhetoric
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed Trump’s softer tone but said he had not been briefed on the substance of the deal. “I don’t know what the agreement contains when it comes to my country,” Nielsen told reporters in Nuuk, adding that while Greenland was open to deeper cooperation, sovereignty was non-negotiable. “We are ready to discuss many things and build a stronger partnership,” he said, “but sovereignty is a red line.”
Read More: US, Denmark to Renegotiate 1951 Greenland Defense Pact at Davos
Speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One after returning from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said negotiations were under way on a new deal that would be “far more generous to the United States.” While avoiding direct questions on sovereignty, he said Washington needed “the ability to do exactly what we want to do.”
Earlier, Trump told Fox Business Network that the arrangement would give the US “total access” to Greenland, with no expiration date.
