President Donald Trump announced a dramatic breakthrough in his bid to acquire Greenland after striking a deal with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trump said he will scrap tariffs scheduled for February 1st following what he described as ‘very productive’ talks on a framework agreement covering the entire Arctic region.
The president said ‘additional discussions’ are ongoing regarding Greenland and that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff are ‘responsible for the negotiations.’
Trump told reporters in Davos on Wednesday that the deal will be ‘put out pretty soon.’
‘It gets us everything we needed to get,’ he insisted, adding: ‘It’s a deal that everybody’s very happy with.’
During his remarks before the World Economic Forum just before the meeting with Rutte in Switzerland Trump walked-back some of his more aggressive rhetoric towards using the US military to take Greenland.
Instead, the president said he didn’t want – and didn’t need – to use force to acquire the Arctic island.
‘We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we could be, frankly, unstoppable,’ Trump claimed. ‘But, I won’t do that.’
President Donald Trump announced he struck a deal with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (left) on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, to halt tariffs in Europe amid a breakthrough in Greenland negotiations
Trump said Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff – the latter two of which were at the meeting – are ‘responsible for the negotiations’ regarding Greenland and NATO
He acknowledged that statement likely caused a collective sigh of relief among European leaders gathered for the summit, claiming: ‘That’s probably the biggest statement I’ve made, because people thought I’d use force.
‘I don’t have to use force, I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,’ he vowed. ‘All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.’
After his speech to at least 60 world leaders, diplomats and international business officials, the president gathered with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.
Both leaders had their respective delegations and discussed heightening tensions surrounding Trump’s desire for the US to acquire Greenland.
‘Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social after his meeting.
‘This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations.’
‘Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st,’ he continued.
Vice President JD Vance visited the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on March 28, 2026 as Trump made it clear early in his second term his intentions of pushing for acquisition of the Arctic island
‘Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland. Further information will be made available as discussions progress. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and various others, as needed, will be responsible for the negotiations — They will report directly to me.’
Trump said earlier in January that he wasn’t concerned if NATO got upset should he take action to acquire Greenland.
He told the Daily Mail aboard Air Force One just 10 days before the World Economic Forum meeting that NATO ‘needs us much more than we need them.’
