Trump touts ‘total access’ Greenland deal as NATO asks allies to step up

By Mark John, Susan Heavey and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen

President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had secured total and permanent U.S. access to Greenland in a deal with NATO, whose head said allies would have to step up their commitment to Arctic security to ward off threats from Russia and China.

News of a framework deal came as Trump backed off tariff threats and ruled out taking Greenland by force, bringing a degree of respite in what was brewing to be the biggest rupture in transatlantic ties in decades.

But the details of any agreement were unclear and Denmark insisted its sovereignty over the island was not up for discussion. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said relations between the bloc and the U.S. had “taken a big blow” in the past week, as EU leaders met for an emergency summit.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed Trump’s latest comments but said he was still in the dark on many aspects.

“I don’t know what there is in the agreement, or the deal, about my country,” he told reporters in the capital Nuuk.

“We are ready to discuss a lot of things and we are ready to negotiate a better partnership and so on. But sovereignty is a red line,” he added, when asked about reports that Trump was seeking control of areas around U.S. military bases in Greenland as part of a wider deal.

“We cannot cross the red lines. We have to respect our territorial integrity. We have to respect international law and sovereignty.”

A source familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Trump agreed in a meeting to hold further talks between the U.S., Denmark and Greenland on updating a 1951 agreement that governs U.S. military access and presence on the island.

The framework they discussed also calls for prohibiting Chinese and Russian investments in Greenland, the source said.

Trump’s U-turn had triggered a rebound in European markets and a return toward record highs for Wall Street’s main indexes, but also raised questions about how much damage had already been done to transatlantic ties and business confidence.

“It’s really being negotiated now, the details of it. But essentially, it’s total access. It’s – there’s no end, there’s no time limit,” Trump told Fox Business Network in an interview from Davos, Switzerland, where he was attending the World Economic Forum.

Rutte told Reuters in Davos it was now up to NATO’s senior commanders to work through the details of extra security requirements.

“I have no doubt we can do this quite fast. Certainly, I would hope for 2026, I hope even early in 2026,” he said.

Denmark says situation remains difficult

Trump’s ambition to wrest sovereignty over Greenland from fellow NATO member Denmark has threatened to blow apart the alliance that has underpinned Western security since the end of World War Two, and reignite a trade war with Europe.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said no negotiations had been held with NATO regarding the sovereignty of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.

“It is still a difficult and serious situation, but progress has also been made in the sense that we have now got things where they need to be. Namely that we can discuss how we promote common security in the Arctic region,” Frederiksen said.

Speaking later in Brussels ahead of the emergency summit of EU leaders, Frederiksen called for a “permanent presence of NATO in the Arctic region, including around Greenland.”

Kallas told reporters that “disagreements that allies have between them, like Europe and America, are just benefiting our adversaries who are looking and enjoying the view.”

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he hoped allies could put together a plan Γüáto boost Arctic security by a NATO summit in Ankara in July.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Rutte on Thursday that the UK stood ready to play its full part in ensuring security in the Arctic, a spokesperson said.

After meeting with Rutte, Trump said there could be a deal that satisfies his desire for a “Golden Dome” missile-defense system and access to critical minerals while blocking what he says are Russia and China’s ambitions in the Arctic.

Rutte said minerals exploitation was not discussed during his meeting with Trump, adding that specific negotiations over the Arctic ΓÇïisland would continue between the United States, Denmark and Greenland itself.

The 1951 agreement between Washington and Copenhagen established the U.S. right to construct military bases in Greenland and move around freely in Greenlandic territory. This is still the case as long ΓÇìas Denmark and Greenland are informed of its actions. Washington has a base at Pituffik in northern Greenland.

“It is important to clarify that the U.S. had 17 bases during the Cold War and much greater activity. So that is already possible now under the current agreement,” said Marc Jacobsen, a professor at the Royal Danish Defence ΓÇìCollege.

“I think there will be concrete discussions about Golden Dome, and ΓüáI think there will be concrete discussions about Russia and China not being welcome in Greenland.”

Greenlanders confused about prospects

However, diplomats told Reuters EU leaders will rethink relations with the U.S. as the Greenland episode has badly shaken confidence in the transatlantic relationship. Governments remain wary of another change of mind by Trump, who is increasingly seen as a bully Europe will have to stand up to, they said.

Residents in the Greenland capital, Nuuk, are also wary.

“It’s all very confusing,” said pensioner Jesper Muller.

“One hour we are, well, almost at war. Next hour everything is fine and beautiful, and I think it’s very hard to imagine that you can build anything on it.”

Related stories from around the North: 

Canada: Analysis: By suddenly declaring a deal on Greenland, Trump demolished his case for owning it, CBC News

Denmark: EU chief promises ‘unflinching’ response to new tariffs as Trump trolls and threatens on social media, Reuters 

Finland: Finland to take part in NATO’s major Arctic-focused exercises in March, Yle News

Greenland: New Italy Arctic policy adds U.S. Greenland ambitions to growing Arctic competition narrative, Eye on the Arctic

Iceland: NATO chief to Arctic Allies: “We’re all frontline states now,” as Iceland’s role grows, Eye on the Arctic

Norway: “We want to be Europe’s most integrated region in terms of defence”, The Independent Barents Observer

Russia: Russia claims first-ever North Pole aerial refuelling, TASS reports, Reuters

Sweden: Swedish military intelligence on the great power rivalry over Greenland, Radio Sweden

United States: Trump lifts tariff threat and announces a ‘framework for a future deal’ on Greenland with NATO, The Associated Press