President Donald Trump said he reached an agreement with NATO’s secretary-general to hold talks in Davos on Greenland, escalating a high-stakes political and trade confrontation with European allies.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he held what he described as a “very good” telephone conversation with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, during which the growing standoff over Greenland was discussed and plans were made for in-person talks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he had agreed to meet with “various parties” during the Davos gathering, though he did not specify who would attend. He reiterated his position that Greenland is central to U.S. and global security, writing that “Greenland is imperative for National and World Security” and adding, “There can be no going back.”
Trump also told reporters earlier that discussions in Davos would include the possibility of the United States acquiring Greenland from Denmark, arguing that the Danish kingdom is unable to adequately defend the semi-autonomous Arctic territory from potential threats.
Asked Monday night about resistance from European NATO allies, Trump said, “Let’s put it this way: It’s going to be a very interesting Davos,” according to remarks reported by the Associated Press.
The president is scheduled to arrive in Switzerland on the first anniversary of his second inauguration. His comments come as tensions over Greenland have sharply escalated over the past week, with Trump threatening to impose higher tariffs on eight NATO members he says are blocking U.S. efforts to secure the island: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland. Trump said the tariffs would remain in place “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”
Trump amplified his position with a flurry of early-morning Truth Social posts, including a screenshot of a message he said was from Rutte thanking him for his role in peace efforts related to Gaza, Syria, and Ukraine, and expressing a willingness to find “a way forward on Greenland.” Trump also shared an AI-generated image depicting European leaders in the Oval Office facing a map showing Greenland, Canada, and Venezuela covered by the U.S. flag, as well as another image portraying Trump alongside Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio planting an American flag on Greenland.
European leaders used the Davos stage to push back. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Trump’s proposed tariffs tied to Greenland were a “mistake,” warning they could damage transatlantic relations. “And in politics as in business, a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something,” she said.
French President Emmanuel Macron went further, warning that the European Union could deploy its Anti-Coercion Instrument for the first time against the United States if tariffs are imposed. The mechanism, adopted in 2023, allows the EU to respond to what it considers economic blackmail through retaliatory tariffs or restrictions on access to the EU single market.
Macron also warned that the dispute over Greenland risks diverting attention from efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. In messages Trump later posted publicly, Macron expressed confusion about the U.S. position on Greenland while suggesting further diplomatic engagement. “I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland. Let us try to build great things,” Macron wrote, according to screenshots Trump shared.
Greenland has not been a Danish colony since 1953, when it was integrated into the Kingdom of Denmark, and it cannot be sold in the same way the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1857. Greenland governs most domestic affairs, while Denmark retains responsibility for defense and foreign policy.
Trump has argued that Greenland should become part of the United States because of what he describes as growing threats from Russia and China in the Arctic. He has accused Denmark of failing to adequately protect the island, which sits on a missile flight path between North America and Russia and has long hosted U.S. early-warning systems dating back to the Cold War, including the first ballistic missile early warning installation established there in 1960.
The governments of Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly said the island is not for sale and that its residents do not want to become part of the United States. A January 2025 poll found that 56% of Greenlanders favor independence from Denmark, while just 6% said they wanted to join the United States.
An existing 1951 treaty grants the United States military access to Greenland within NATO’s framework while preserving Danish sovereignty. A bilateral defense cooperation agreement signed in December 2023 expanded that arrangement, allowing a more permanent U.S. presence at specific Danish military bases.
Some European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have suggested Trump’s tariff threats may be a negotiating tactic rather than a firm plan. Senior U.S. officials, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have publicly rejected the idea that the United States would use military force to take control of Greenland.
Trump is scheduled to address delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, with Greenland expected to dominate discussions.
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