NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the question of whether Greenland would remain part of the Kingdom of Denmark did not arise in his discussions with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos, even as the US president scaled back earlier threats of tariffs and military action over the Arctic island.
Sovereignty “did not step in”, says the head of NATO
Rutte was asked whether Greenland would continue to remain “under the Kingdom of Denmark” as part of the framework agreement that Trump had publicly referred to during the Davos meeting.
Read also | Trump eyes Greenland: Details of ‘deal’ emerge after force, tariffs ruled out
“This question did not come up in my conversations with the president this evening,” Rutte said, according to Reuters.
He added that Trump’s focus during their Davos discussions was firmly on Arctic security, amid heightened geopolitical competition in the region.
“He (Trump) is very focused on what we need to do to make sure that the huge Arctic region — where there’s change right now, where the Chinese and the Russians are becoming more active — how we can protect it.”
The framework said to respect Danish sovereignty
Despite the absence of any explicit discussion of sovereignty, the Axios report said the Greenland framework being discussed between Trump and Rutt includes the principle of respecting Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland, citing two people briefed on the proposal.
Read also | Did Trump confuse Greenland and Iceland? Karoline Leavitt defends POTUS
NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said Denmark, Greenland and the United States would continue negotiations to ensure that “Russia and China never gain a foothold — economically or militarily — in Greenland.”
She did not provide details on the framework, but called Trump’s meeting with Rutt “very productive” and added that the discussion would “focus on ensuring Arctic security through the joint efforts of allies, especially the seven Arctic allies.”
Trump Dropped Tariff Threat, Arctic Framework Claims
President Donald Trump speaks to the media following a meeting during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland(AP)
On Wednesday, Trump said he was withdrawing additional tariff threats he had previously issued against European countries in a bid to gain American ownership of Greenland, instead saying he had reached a framework agreement with Rutt. Writing on Truth Social, he said:
“We have created a framework for a future agreement regarding Greenland and indeed the entire Arctic region. If this solution is implemented, it will be great for the United States of America and all NATO countries.”
Read also | Trump Davos LIVE: POTUS cancels tariff threat against EU countries over Greenland
However, Trump did not outline the content of the framework and in particular stopped short of stating that the United States would own Greenland, even when asked directly by journalists in Davos.
Military bases were floated as a possible compromise
Trump’s announcement followed a NATO meeting where senior military officials discussed a possible compromise in which Denmark would give the United States sovereignty over limited portions of Greenland land to build military bases, according to three senior officials familiar with the discussions.
Two of those officials compared the proposal to the UK’s sovereign core areas of Cyprus, which are considered British territory, the New York Times reported. Officials said they did not know if the idea was part of the framework Trump had publicly referred to.
NATO later said negotiations between Denmark, Greenland and the United States would continue to prevent Russian or Chinese influence on the island.
Trump’s Davos speech underlines pressure on allies
The framework report came hours after Donald Trump told European leaders in Davos that he would accept nothing less than US ownership of Greenland while withdrawing his threat to use military force.
Addressing heads of state, billionaires and senior politicians, he said that the United States needs Greenland for reasons of national security and is the only power capable of defending it.
Read also | Trump announces US-NATO ‘framework’ for Greenland, halts tariffs on Europe
Trump has called for “immediate action” to transfer ownership of the semi-autonomous island, criticizing Europe’s dependence on Washington and warning of economic consequences if his demands are not met.
“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive force and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable,” Trump said. “But I won’t… I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.”
He later reminded European leaders that he had already imposed tariffs on imports from countries across the continent and might do so again, including Denmark.
Europe reacts cautiously
Some European leaders focused on what they saw as the most reassuring aspect of Trump’s remarks — his commitment not to deploy troops. Rasmus Jarlov, chairman of the Danish parliamentary defense committee, said in an interview:
“I’m glad he’s ruling out military force… He insists he wants Greenland, but that’s nothing new. Of course, we still insist we’re not handing over Greenland.”
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Trump, however, rejected the lack-of-ownership arrangement, leaving little room for compromise.
“You need ownership to defend it,” he said, adding, “Who the hell wants to defend a license agreement or a lease?”
