Greenland proposal Trump endorsed respects Denmark's sovereignty: sources
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Trump walks to Marine One after landing in Switzerland. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
DAVOS, Switzerland — The Greenland framework President Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed on Wednesday includes the principle of respecting Denmark's sovereignty over the island, according to two sources briefed on the proposal.
Why it matters: Trump stated numerous times, including earlier on Wednesday, that he'd only take a deal that put Greenland under U.S. control. The deal proposed by Rutte — which Trump said "gives us everything we needed" — doesn't do that.
Driving the news: In a bellicose speech at Davos on Wednesday, Trump said the U.S. "needs" Greenland but, crucially, wouldn't use force to take it. He called for immediate negotiations, after deriding Denmark as weak and NATO as ungrateful.
- Trump's tone was markedly different when he emerged, hours later, from a long meeting with Rutte, in which the NATO chief outlined the proposed framework.
- Trump announced he would not follow through on his threat to impose tariffs on eight European allies on Feb. 1 for opposing his claim to Greenland. And he signaled that if a deal was reached on the terms he and Rutte discussed, the entire Greenland crisis would be over.
- "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.
Zoom in: Asked by reporters later whether Greenland would be part of the U.S., Trump dodged, saying: "It is the ultimate long-term deal. It's an infinite deal. It is a deal forever."
- Stunningly, Rutte claimed in a Fox News interview that the question of who would control Greenland "did not come up" in the meeting.
- Rutte said the proposal involved all of NATO and in particular the "seven Arctic allies" doing more to protect the Arctic region.
Behind the scenes: Two sources with knowledge of Rutte's proposal said it doesn't include the transfer of overall sovereignty over Greenland from Denmark to the United States.
- The plan includes updating the 1951 "Greenland Defense Agreement" between the U.S. and Denmark, which allowed the U.S. to build military bases in the island and establish "defense areas" if NATO believed it necessary.
- It also includes sections on increasing security in Greenland and NATO activity in the Arctic, as well as additional work on raw materials, the sources said.
- The proposal also includes language on positioning "Golden Dome" in Greenland and on countering "malign outside influence" by Russia and China.
What they're saying: "If this deal goes through, and President Trump is very hopeful it will, the U.S. will be achieving all of its strategic goals with respect to Greenland, at very little cost, forever."
- "President Trump is proving once again he's the Dealmaker in Chief. As details are finalized by all parties involved, they will be released accordingly," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios.
Between the lines: The ideas raised by Rutte echo the Danish proposal that has long been on the table: Denmark retains sovereignty, but the U.S. is able to increase its military presence.
What's next: The U.S. is expected to launch in the coming weeks high-level negotiations with Denmark and Greenland over the potential agreement.
