Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he reached a framework for a permanent deal over his contentious efforts to acquire Greenland, and that he would therefore waive tariffs that were to hit European allies. Trump offered no details on the tentative framework, but the announcement followed weeks of increasingly bellicose rhetoric from the president about seizing Greenland by force and threatening sanctions if countries stood in his way — threats that roiled financial markets.
“We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social after talks in Davos with NATO chief Mark Rutte, who declined to comment when asked by AFP about the preliminary deal. Trump added that he would therefore scrap planned tariffs of up to 25 percent on eight European countries for backing Denmark in the dispute. He later told reporters from outlets including AFP that the deal “gets everything we wanted” and will be in force “forever.”
The Greenland issue had earlier dominated Trump’s first address to the World Economic Forum in six years, in which he slammed “ungrateful” Denmark for refusing to give up the Arctic island, but appeared to take the threat of military action off the table. “I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland,” Trump said. Wall Street stocks opened higher Wednesday after the president’s comments.
Denmark said it was a “positive” sign that Trump had said he wanted to avoid military force — but stressed that the US president had not backed away from his push to acquire Greenland. “What is quite clear after this speech is that the president’s ambition remains intact,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said. Greenland’s government meanwhile unveiled a new brochure on Wednesday offering advice to the population in the event of a “crisis” in the territory, saying it was an “insurance policy.”
Trump repeatedly pushed his claims to Greenland — which he mistakenly called Iceland several times — during lengthy remarks on the deepest crisis in transatlantic relations for decades. The US president — who insists Greenland is under threat from Russia and China — also lambasted Europe on a number of fronts from security to tariffs and the economy, saying it was “not heading in the right direction.” Trump flew into Davos by helicopter, stepping onto a red carpet laid in the snow — but he flew into a growing international storm over Greenland. He arrived some two hours behind schedule, after an electrical issue earlier forced Air Force One to turn back to Washington and the president to switch planes.
Europe and Canada had earlier closed ranks against what they view as a threat to the US-led global order from Trump’s territorial ambitions. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney won a standing ovation at Davos on Tuesday when he warned of a “rupture” to the US-led system. French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile said Europe would not be bullied. But Trump renewed his attacks on the two leaders, mocking Macron in particular for wearing sunglasses at Davos, which the French president said was because of an eye condition. Trump also repeatedly expressed doubts on NATO during his speech, saying Washington was treated “so unfairly” and questioning whether the alliance would defend the United States if asked.
At the beginning of his meeting with Trump, Rutte sought to reassure the US leader that the alliance would “absolutely” aid the United States if it came under attack, noting that NATO had already done so in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks. In addition to roiling NATO, the Greenland row has also soured Washington’s relations with the European Union, which had threatened countermeasures over Trump’s planned tariffs. But Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a Trump ally, told AFP after the “very important” speech: “I think the situation will be calm.” He said he understood the US leader’s stance amid Russian pressure at EU borders.
In remarks that veered from topic to topic, Trump also expressed hope of ending the Ukraine war soon, saying he expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos on Thursday. Trump is also set on Thursday to formally announce the first charter of his so-called “Board of Peace,” a body for resolving international conflicts with a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership.
© 2024 AFP
