“Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Davos. He did not give details of the deal. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he was canceling his planned tariff on US allies in Europe over US control of Greenland after he and the leader of NATO agreed to a ‘framework of a future deal’ on Arctic security. The abrupt about-face emerged hours after Trump had insisted that he wants to “get Greenland, including right, title and ownership,” but said he would not use force to do so while deriding European allies and vowing that NATO should not try to block US expansionism. In an extraordinary speech at the World Economic Forum, the president said he was asking for territory that was “cold and poorly located.” He said the US had effectively saved Europe during World War II and even declared of NATO: “It’s a very small ask compared to what we have given them for many, many decades.” “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be frankly unstoppable. But I won’t do that, OK?” Trump said, later adding, “I don’t have to” and “I don’t want to use force.” Trump often tries to increase pressure on the other side when he believes it can lead to a favorable deal, and he seemed happy to do so ahead of the forum in Davos. The implications of his remarks were enormous, potentially rupturing an alliance that has held firm since the dawn of the Cold War and seemed among the globe’s most unshakable pacts. NATO was founded by leading European nations, the US and Canada to form a bloc to counter the Soviet Union. Its other members have been steadfast in saying Greenland is not for sale and cannot be wrested from Denmark, meaning Trump’s comments could yet mark the beginning of a larger geopolitical standoff. The president has long said the US will get control of Greenland no matter what it takes, arguing that Washington needs the world’s largest island to counter threats in the surrounding Arctic Ocean from Russia and China. That’s despite America already having a large military base there. A Danish government official told The Associated Press after Trump’s speech that Copenhagen is ready to discuss US security concerns. But the official, who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, underscored the government’s position that “red lines”— namely Denmark’s sovereignty — must be respected. Greenland’s government responded by telling its citizens to be prepared. It has published a handbook in English and Greenlandic on what to do in a crisis that urges residents to ensure they have sufficient food, water, fuel and supplies at home to survive for five days. “We just went to the grocery store and bought the supplies,” said Tony Jakobsen in Greenland’s capital Nuuk said, showing off the contents of bags that included candles, snacks and toilet paper. Jakobsen said he thought Trump’s rhetoric towards Greenland was “just threats… but it’s better to be ready than not ready.” Trump, meanwhile, urged Denmark and the rest of NATO to stand aside, adding an ominous warning. “We want a piece of ice for world protection, and they won’t give it,” Trump said. “You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no, and we will remember.”
