U Turn for Trump: No Tariff Threat on Europe, No Invasion of Greenland

U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to abandon threatened tariffs and rule out the use of force against Greenland marks a sharp tactical reversal after weeks of escalating rhetoric that unsettled NATO and European capitals. Speaking in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said he and NATO Secretary, General Mark Rutte, had agreed on a “framework of a future deal” covering Greenland and the wider Arctic region, while insisting that Washington’s security concerns remained unchanged.

The shift came after Trump’s warning of tariffs of 10 percent from February 1, rising to 25 percent by June 1, against Denmark and seven other European states, and after he repeatedly suggested the U.S. could seize the territory “whether they like it or not.”

Trump framed the reversal as a diplomatic success rather than a concession. “We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” he wrote on his Truth Social account, adding that “this solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations.”

He confirmed he would not impose the tariffs that had been scheduled to take effect on February 1 and said additional discussions were under way concerning the Golden Dome Missile Defense program as it pertains to Greenland.

“I Won’t Use Force”

In remarks to reporters at the World Economic Forum, Trump explicitly ruled out military action, saying, “People thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”

He nonetheless reiterated his long-standing argument that Greenland is vital to U.S. and international security, calling it an “enormous, unsecured island” rich in minerals and strategically located in the Arctic.

Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark with a population of about 56,000, and it already hosts a major U.S. military base, down from 17 American installations during World War II. Far from being merely a geopolitical abstraction, for roughly two centuries, the territory has been allegedly subjected to Danish policies of forced assimilation, including child removals, suppression of language and identity, and population control - abuses that Copenhagen has acknowledged only recently after decades of denial.

Pressed later by CNBC on whether tensions might have escalated further, Trump said, “If there was going to be a war, it was going to be a trade war,” adding, “I don’t see us fighting with Denmark and NATO.”

At the same time, he declined to clarify whether U.S. ownership of Greenland remained an objective. Asked directly whether ownership was part of the deal, Trump replied, “It is a long term deal. It is the ultimate long term deal,” before adding that it was “infinite… forever.”

Sovereignty Left Unspoken

European officials stressed that the framework does not touch sovereignty. In an interview with Fox News, Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte said Greenland’s ownership “was not discussed” during his conversations with Trump, emphasizing that talks focused on Arctic security rather than territorial transfer.

NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart echoed that point, saying Rutte “did not propose any compromise to sovereignty” and that allies would pursue “collective efforts” to prevent Russia or China from gaining an economic or military foothold in Greenland.

Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, welcomed the de-escalation while underscoring firm limits. “The day is ending on a better note than it began,” he said. “We welcome that Trump has ruled out to take Greenland by force and paused the trade war.” He added that future talks must respect “the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark”.

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil underscored lingering uncertainty around the announcement, warning that it was “too early to celebrate” until any agreement was “written down in black and white,” a reminder that political signals have yet to harden into binding commitments and that EU leaders are in loss of trust when it comes to the U.S. under Trump.

De-Escalation Without Closure

Other European leaders framed Trump’s move as a partial reset rather than a resolution. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said tensions should be lowered and solutions sought, while rejecting any notion of submission.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof called the removal of the 10 percent tariff threat a positive step and urged continued cooperation within NATO, a 32-member alliance that anchors roughly $1.7 trillion in transatlantic trade.

The episode highlighted both the fragility and resilience of the alliance. Trump’s rhetoric had prompted warnings that even the threat of force against a NATO ally could rupture the bloc.

Yet the rapid shift, coming hours after Trump again raised the specter of “excessive strength” in Davos, suggested a willingness to pull back once allies publicly closed ranks.

What remains is an intentionally vague framework centered on Arctic security, mineral access, and missile defense, leaving the core question of Greenland’s status formally untouched but politically unresolved.