“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 in a social media post.
Trump won’t use force to take Greenland and drops tariffs threat
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US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he “won’t use force” to take control of Greenland before later dropping his threat to impose new tariffs on European nations over the dispute.
He still wants “immediate negotiations” over a US acquisition of the the Danish Arctic island, but talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte appear to have further eased tensions. Trump hinted at a possible agreement over Greenland which might satisfy all parties.
His speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos was highly anticipated and Trump pulled back from a position which had threatened 80 years of comparative harmony between Western allies.
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“People thought I would use force, but I don’t have to use force,” the US president told the forum – and many in the rest of the world watching the livestream from the Swiss resort.
“I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”
European leaders had been on edge after repeated Trump statements insisting the large island, thought to have mineral wealth, become part of the United States for national and global security reasons.
Previously Trump had refused to say whether he would rule out sending the US military to fulfil his demand.
In Davos he said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States.”
‘Formed the framework of a future deal’
He later posted on Truth Social following a meeting with Rutte and withdrew the tariff threats.
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European NATO allies have voiced solidarity with Denmark and Greenland, even sending troops there, which had led Trump to say he would impose punitive tariffs from February 1 to pressure his opponents.
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“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.
“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.”
Ministers from Denmark, Greenland and the US along with US Vice President JD Vance already met in Washington on the issue, but those talks yielded little results. The Danes said a working group was being set up to find a way forward. US troops are already stationed in Greenland.
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Trump, who spent most of his career in New York real estate, insisted again in his Davos speech that the US needs ownership of the large Arctic territory for the sake of setting up a missile defence system and international security.
“You can’t defend it on a lease,” Trump said.
Only the US “is in any position to be able to secure Greenland,” he told the audience.
“You can say yes and we will be very appreciative or you can say no and we will remember.”
Denmark steadfast
Trump planned a number of meetings on Greenland during the high-profile gathering in the Swiss Alpine resort.
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He also again took aim at the NATO Western military alliance in his speech.
“The problem with NATO is that we’ll be there for them 100%
but I’m not sure that they be there for us if we gave them the call, ‘gentlemen, we are being attacked, we’re under attack by such and such a nation’,” he said.
“I know them all very well, I’m not sure that they’d be there. I know we’d be there for them, I don’t know that they’d be there for us.
So with all of the money we expend, with all of the blood, sweat and tears, I don’t know that they’d be there for us.”
Hours later, he was lauding the NATO chief Rutte.
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Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen reiterated that negotiations on the transfer of Greenland to the United States are out of the question for his country.
“We will not enter into negotiations based on abandoning fundamental principles,” Rasmussen told broadcaster DR after Trump’s speech. “We will never do that.
“It is positive in itself that he says he will not use military force, but it does not solve the problem.”
Trump also discussed other issues during his speech including domestic politics, the future of Venezuela, green energy and his belief that Europe is in decline, but all ears were on his Greenland comments after days of concern in European capitals.View comments(1)
Up next
What tariffs has Trump announced and why?
Jennifer Clarke – BBC News
8 min read
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US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose further tariffs on eight European allies who oppose his demands for control of Greenland.
In 2025, he placed a number of taxes on goods reaching the US from countries around the world, arguing that the move would boost American manufacturing and create jobs.
Critics warned of higher prices and damage to the global economy, and the US Supreme Court is considering the legality of the tariffs Trump has brought in.
What are tariffs and how do they work?
Tariffs are taxes on imported goods.
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Typically, the charge is a percentage of a good’s value.
For example, a 10% tariff on a $10 product would mean a $1 tax on top – taking the total cost to $11 (£8.17).
The tax is paid to the government by companies bringing in the foreign products.
These firms may pass some or all of the extra cost on to their customers, which in this case means ordinary Americans and other US businesses.
They may also decide to import fewer goods.
Why is Trump using tariffs?
Trump says tariffs increase the amount of tax raised by the government, encourage consumers to buy more American-made goods and boost investment in the US.
He wants to reduce the US trade deficit – the gap between the value of goods it buys from other countries and those it sells to them.
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The president argues that the US has been exploited by “cheaters” and “pillaged” by foreigners.
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He said that China, Mexico and Canada must do more to stop migrants and the illegal drug fentanyl reaching the US.
Trump has also used the threat of tariffs to encourage other countries to support the US on issues unrelated to trade – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Iran’s suppression of protests, as well as his demands on Greenland.
Many tariffs have been amended or delayed after being announced.
How will the new tariffs on eight European countries work?
On 17 January, Trump threatened to impose a further 10% tariff on eight European countries who have rejected his Greenland plans.
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He said the rate would apply to goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland from 1 February, but could later rise to 25% – and would last until a deal was reached.
The move was widely condemned by European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, who said the EU could consider a series of retaliatory options including a so-called “trade bazooka”.
Officially known as the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI), this is a law that allows the EU to respond to economic blackmail from non-EU countries. It threatens very severe consequences.
In July 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed the EU would pay 15% tariffs on its US exports.
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After the agreement, Brussels suspended the tariffs it had planned to introduce on €93bn (£81bn; $109bn) worth of US goods sold to the EU, from livestock and aircraft parts to whiskey.
The European Parliament had been due to ratify the 15% deal shortly, but is now expected to suspend the agreement, sparking fears of a new trade war.
- Why does Trump want Greenland and what could it mean for Nato?
- How could Europe respond to Trump’s Greenland tariffs?
- Global markets on alert as Europe to suspend approval of US trade deal
What are Trump’s tariffs on individual countries?
Negotiations continue with a number of countries, including America’s top three trading partners, China, Canada and Mexico, who have been threatened with particularly high tariffs:
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- China and the US threatened tariffs on each other’s goods of more than 100% but subsequently extended a truce until November 2025. On 30 October Trump said the two countries would sign a trade deal “pretty soon”, and cancelled the tariffs levied on Chinese goods linked to the production of fentanyl. Exclusions on 178 other Chinese products have been extended until 10 November 2026. Lower tariffs remain in place for non-exempt goods
- Canada faces 35% tariffs on its goods – although most are exempt under the existing US-Canada-Mexico (USMCA) free trade agreement. It is also affected by the blanket 50% levy on imported metals and 25% duty on non-US cars. In October, Trump suspended talks and threatened to increase Canada’s levies by a further 10%, after it broadcast an anti-tariff advert. Prime Minister Mark Carney later apologised
- Mexico faces 30% tariffs on its goods, plus the sector-specific levies and a 25% fentanyl levy. However, like Canada, most of its goods are exempt under the USMCA. The non-exempt tariffs remain suspended while talks continue
- China announces record $1tn trade surplus despite Trump tariffs
- Four things the US wants from Canada on trade
- Mexico approves up to 50% tariffs on China and other countries
In April 2025, Trump said a “baseline” of 10% would apply to imports from almost all other countries, while nations considered the “worst offenders” in trade terms would face higher rates from August. These include:
- 50% tariffs on Indian goods – including a 25% penalty for trade with Russia
- 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods
- 30% tariffs on South African goods
- 20% tariffs on Vietnamese goods
- 15% tariffs on Japanese goods
- 15% tariffs on South Korean goods
- 15% tariffs on most EU goods
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On 13 January, Trump said the US would apply a 25% tariff to Iran’s trading partners, after Tehran cracked down on anti-government protests.
What is the UK tariff deal?
In June 2025, the UK negotiated 10% tariffs, the lowest so far agreed.
It exported about £58bn of goods to the US in 2024 – mainly cars, machinery and pharmaceuticals.
The 10% rate applies to the first 100,000 UK vehicles exported every year – roughly the number sold in 2024. Additional cars face the standard 25% tariff.
The agreement also lets the two countries sell beef to each other.
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Trump announced “the deal was done” in June 2025, but did not confirm the expected removal of the 25% rate which applies to UK steel exports. This is no longer expected to happen.
Which goods are affected by Trump’s tariffs?
Some taxes announced by Trump are on particular products, wherever they are made.
These include:
- 100% tariff on branded or patented drugs (unless a company is building a factory in the US)
- 50% tariff on steel and aluminium imports (except for those from the UK)
- 50% tariff on copper imports
- 50% tariff on kitchen and bathroom cabinets and some furniture
- 25% tariff on most foreign-made cars, engines and other car parts
- 25% tariff on all heavy-duty trucks
In addition, Trump ended an exemption for imports valued at $800 (£592) or less.
