Framework formed for Greenland deal, Trump says

US President Donald Trump touched on a variety of topics during a lengthy speech to government officials and business elite on Wednesday.

But he made headlines when he said he won’t use military force to acquire Greenland.

Later in the day, Trump said he had a productive meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and that the pair had “formed the framework of a future deal” regarding Greenland.

Given that he had a deal, Trump said he was backing down from his earlier threat of imposing a 10% charge on eight European countries, including Denmark, that opposed his push to acquire the Arctic island.

On Thursday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to deliver remarks at the World Economic Forum. Plus, there are reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may also be on his way to meet with Trump in the Swiss Alps. 

The focus of Day 3 of the World Economic Forum was on Donald Trump and his plan to take control of the Danish territory of Greenland.

It ended with an abrupt about-face by the US president, who dropped his threat to impose tariffs on several European countries, citing what he described as a new framework with NATO on Arctic security.

Earlier on Wednesday, he also ruled out the idea of taking Greenland by force. 

For reactions to that and more details on what he has planned, please click here to follow our other live blog on covering Greenland.

As far as Davos is concerned, we will be back tomorrow with more coverage. Thanks for following along today.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard welcomed the US president’s announced withdrawal of a threat ⁠to impose new tariffs on eight European nations for ‌their ⁠support of Greenland.

“Good that Trump has now ‍backed away from tariffs ​on ​those of us who have supported Denmark and Greenland,” she wrote on X. “The demands about moving ‍borders has received well-earned criticism. That is also ​why we have repeated that we will ⁠not ​be blackmailed. It appears that our ‌work ‌together with allies has had an impact.” 
 

President Donald Trump said he is dropping his tariff threat on several European nations after agreeing with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on a “framework of a future deal” involving Greenland and the wider Arctic region.

The step-down comes days after Trump threatened to impose a 10% import tariff on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland until “a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland.”

On Wednesday, he wrote on Truth Social: “I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February.”

The move could ease tensions with NATO partners, though questions remain about what the Arctic deal actually includes.

Europe has been steadfast in saying Greenland is not for sale and cannot be wrested from Denmark.

Speaking at WEF earlier, Trump also ruled out using force to acquire the island from Denmark, calling instead for immediate negotiations.

Trump argues Greenland is vital for US and NATO security against Russia and China.

US President Donald Trump said he and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte “have formed the framework of a future deal” concerning Greenland.

The two met during the World Economic Forum.

Trump added that he would not impose tariffs on key allies, including Germany, despite their opposition to his plan for the US to take control of Greenland.

“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” he wrote on his Truth Social.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told DW he never expected the United States would use force to annex Greenland from Denmark.

He said, however, that President Donald Trump is “very right in being focused on the security issues, we are with him, and we will find a solution in our alliance and not against each other.”

“We have to encounter, of course, threats from Russia and from China,” Wadephul said.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said he “won’t use force” to take control of Greenland, but he wants “immediate negotiations” over a US acquisition (see earlier entries). He insisted that the US needs ownership of the Arctic territory to ensure international security.

“Perhaps the NATO framework is the one which we should use right now,” Wadephul said.

Donald Trump’s speech was one of the most anticipated on the second day of the World Economic Forum.

DW asked attendees at Davos for their reaction to the speech:

• Vocal Trump critic Gavin Newsom, governor of California, said Trump’s plan to take over Greenland with force was a non-starter as “there wasn’t support for that back home.” He said Trump’s suggestion to negotiate for the US to gain control of Greenland did not amount to much since Europeans have always indicated they were “happy to negotiate.”
• Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ebba Busch, warned that Trump still wanted Greenland. “Let’s just keep our cool, things are quite heated now, this is not going to be solved this week. We are ready to hold the line, Europe needs to toughen up,” she said.
• Joe Kaeser, chairman of the supervisory boards of Siemens Energy and Daimler Truck Holding, said there was no “substantial news” from Trump’s speech. “He is known as a person who pushes the envelope further than where he wants it to land,” Kaeser said of Trump, adding that the undertaking not to use force to take Greenland was a “tactical way of pulling back.”
• In his speech, Trump said he would meet Zelenskyy to discuss ways to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump’s envoys have been discussing a plan to secure a ceasefire with Russia and Ukraine. On Ukraine, Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally who is also in Davos, told DW any deal would need Senate approval and strong security guarantees for Ukraine to get that. “If you do a deal on security guarantees you got to get 60 votes in the Senate, they need to be real to prevent a third invasion,” he said.

​​​​​​​

Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said it was a “positive” sign that President Donald Trump stated he would not use force to take over Greenland.

Earlier, Trump told delegates at the World Economic Forum that he wants to “get Greenland, including right, title and ownership,” but said he would not employ force to achieve that.

“What is quite clear after this speech is that the president’s ambition remains intact,” Rasmussen said. “It is, of course, positive in isolation that the president said that about the military, but it doesn’t make the problem go away.” 

Trump had previously refused to say whether he would rule out sending the US military to annex Greenland from Denmark. In Davos, he said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States.”

US President Donald Trumpsays he is meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Davos on Thursday.

Earlier, Trump said the meeting would take place on Wednesday, but the Ukrainian leader’s office said he was not there.

Trump said he expected a deal to end the war in Ukraine could be reached soon, but there was an “abnormal hatred” between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his speech, Trump did not mention that Russia invaded Ukraine.

“We have ‌to get it stopped … I believe they’re at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done. And if they don’t, they’re stupid,” he added.

A deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine is “reasonably close,” US President Donald Trump told the WEF in Davos.

“If they don’t get this done, they are stupid,” Trump said of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump wants to end the war in Ukraine, which has been going on for almost four years. He said he believes both leaders “want to make a deal,” although they have backed away from agreements over the past few months.

Trump said he would meet with Zelenskyy at Davos on Wednesday, but  the Ukrainian leader’s office said he is in Kyiv and not at the WEF.

The Kremlin said it expects a meeting between Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff to take place in Moscow on Thursday.

President Donald Trump questioned whether NATO would back the United States if it called on the military alliance.

“We will be there for them a 100%, but I am not sure that they’d be there for us,” he said in his speech at the WEF.

“With all the money we have spent, with all the blood, sweat and tears, I don’t know that they’ll be there for us,” he said. “They are certainly not there for us on Iceland [he likely meant Greenland].”

He also questioned NATO’s commitment on Tuesday night ahead of his trip to Davos.

His assessment comes despite NATO’s collective defense agreement, known as Article 5, which states that an attack against one member shall be considered an attack against all. Article 5 has only been triggered once, after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the US, when all its allies positively responded.

The remarks also come as Trump is pushing for control of Greenland from fellow NATO member Denmark, raising fears of a rift that could destabilize the alliance. 

US President Donald Trump ruled out acquiring Greenland through force.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, he said the United States never asked for anything from its allies.

“We probably won’t get anything unless I use excessive strength and force. We would be, frankly, unstoppable,” he said.

He added that he would not do that.

“People thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force, I don’t want to use force, I won’t use force,” Trump said.

“All the United States want is a place called Greenland,” he said, adding that the US needed the island to ensure US national security.

“You can say ‘yes,’ and we will be very appreciative,” the US president said. “Or you can say ‘no,’ and we will remember.”

Trump appeared to confuse Greenland and Iceland in his address at Davos.

After referring to Greenland as a “piece of ice” several times, the US president mentioned Iceland three times while talking about his plans to gain control of Greenland, a much larger island.

Iceland is an independent country between Greenland and the UK. Trump has not spoken before about wanting to take that particular island.

US President Donald Trump said Greenland is sitting “undefended in a key strategic security.”

“It is the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice, develop it and improve it and make it so it is good for Europe and safe for Europe and good for us,” Trump said.

He said he was seeking “immediate negotiations” to discuss acquiring the Danish territory of Greenland.

Denmark and Greenland’s leaders previously rejected Trump’s advances.

Trump said he had “tremendous respect” for the people of Greenland and Denmark, but added that no nation could defend Greenland other than the United States.