US President Donald Trump has said negotiations over Greenland are underway and nearing an agreement.
The talks crucial for US national security. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump said the process was already moving forward. “We have started a negotiation, and I think it’s pretty well agreed to. I mean, they want us to do it,” Trump said.
“I think it’s gonna be a good deal for everybody, very important deal actually, from a national security point of view, very, very important deal. I think we’re going to make a deal there.” Trump did not say whether he had recently spoken to European leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron or UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Denmark, Greenland say talks ‘back on track’
According to Politico, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said initial talks among Denmark, the United States and Greenland had “gone well,” even though the dispute remains unresolved.
Politico reported that Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt met US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on January 14. The sides agreed to set up a “working group” to discuss Greenland and Arctic security.
“After that there was a huge derailment,” Rasmussen said, referring to Trump’s tariff threats. “Things escalated, but now we are back on track.” Rasmussen added that the first working-group meeting “went well and took place in a constructive atmosphere and tone,” while cautioning that more talks were needed.
Tariff threats and NATO framework
Trump had earlier threatened to impose tariffs on several European countries unless they agreed to hand over Greenland. He later walked back those threats, saying he had reached a “framework” toward a deal with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, though details were not made public.
European capitals had been unsettled by Trump’s earlier remarks, leading to calls within the European Union for greater unity on security. France and Germany had urged the EU to consider its Anti-Coercion Instrument before Trump stepped back from a trade war. Rasmussen credited European solidarity for the shift.
“It has become clear that the price for going down that path has been too high,” he said. At the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21, Trump said the United States would not use military force to acquire Greenland, softening earlier statements. He also reversed the proposed 10 per cent tariffs on European allies, again pointing to a “framework of a deal” on mineral and security rights.
What Trump wants?
Trump has been pushing for the United States to acquire or gain much greater control over Greenland, framing it as a national-security move to counter China and Russia in the Arctic and to secure access to minerals and shipping routes. Denmark and Greenland, however, have repeatedly said the territory is not for sale, while leaving room for talks on security cooperation.