Trump Announces Framework for Greenland Deal with NATO
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| Hours after his address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, President Trump said he had reached a framework agreement with the leader of NATO over the future of Greenland.Credit...Doug Mills/The New York |
President Trump declared Wednesday he had reached a framework agreement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte regarding Greenland's future, backing away from earlier threats of military action against American allies over the Arctic territory.
The announcement followed NATO discussions in Brussels about granting the United States sovereignty over small pockets of Greenland for military bases—a model similar to British sovereign bases in Cyprus. Three senior officials confirmed these talks occurred among alliance military officers. However, NATO emphasized that "negotiations between Denmark, Greenland, and the United States will go forward" to prevent Russian and Chinese influence in the region.
Trump's concessions marked a significant shift. He withdrew threats of additional European tariffs and explicitly stated he would not use force to claim Greenland, despite insisting at the World Economic Forum in Davos that "you need the ownership to defend it." He rejected settling for lease agreements or licenses.
The framework remains vague, with no released details about its contents. Rutte's spokeswoman denied that he proposed any sovereignty compromise during their meeting in Davos.
Greenlandic officials strongly protested the announcement. Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic member of Denmark's parliament, called Trump's claims "completely absurd," emphasizing that "NATO has absolutely no mandate to negotiate anything whatsoever without us."
Denmark's government has not commented. European leaders expressed cautious relief at Trump's pledge against military intervention, though uncertainty persists about what any potential deal would actually entail.
Read More At: Trump Says He Has Framework for Greenland Deal as NATO Mulls Idea of U.S. Sovereignty Over Bases