US President, Donald Trump has dropped his threat to impose tariffs on European countries opposed to his bid to take control of Greenland.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he would not go ahead with his planned tariffs due to a productive meeting he had with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, where they agreed on a “framework” for a future deal involving Greenland and the Arctic region.
Trump added in his Truth Social post after meeting Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, “This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations.”
Trump said that discussions were also under way about his plans for the “Golden Dome,” a proposed missile defence shield, and the territory.
In an interview, Rutte provided few specifics about the framework and dodged questions about whether the US would take ownership of the island.
“We basically discussed how can we implement the president’s vision on protecting, yes, Greenland but not only Greenland, the whole Arctic.”
Mark Rutte
Trump has been threatening for weeks to take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous region of Denmark, casting doubt over the future of the NATO military alliance and some $1.7 trillion in transatlantic trade.
Trump had threatened to impose a 10 percent tariff on Denmark and seven other European countries from February 1, rising to 25 percent from June 1, unless a deal was reached for the US to buy the island.
Trump has repeatedly accused Denmark of failing to do enough to secure Greenland’s territorial waters in the Arctic, claiming that the island is vital to Washington’s security in light of China and Russia’s ambitions in the region.
Denmark has said that Greenland is not for sale, and that any move to take the island by force would spell the end of NATO, the 32-member transatlantic alliance that includes both the US and Denmark.
Trump’s U-turn on the tariffs came just hours after he told international leaders gathered in Davos that he would not use force to annex Greenland, even as he insisted that only the US could “secure” the vast, mineral-rich territory.
“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.”
Donald Trump
Trump added that he was seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland.
Trump’s Tariff U-turn Welcomed
Danish Foreign Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen welcomed Trump’s announcement in a statement on social media.
“The day is ending on a better note than it began. We welcome that POTUS has ruled out to take Greenland by force and paused the trade war.”
Lars Lokke Rasmussen
However, Rasmussen reiterated in an interview with local media that Danish sovereignty over Greenland was a “red line.”
“I’d be happy to say it to his face. I’ve said other things to his face, too. I think I can handle that. It’s not going to happen that the United States will own Greenland.”
Lars Lokke Rasmussen
Other European leaders welcomed Trump’s decision to drop his threatened tariffs.
Dutch Prime Minister, Dick Schoof said, “It is positive that we are now on the path to de-escalation and that the 10 percent import tariffs are off the table.”
“Now it is important that the US, Canada and Europe continue to work together within NATO to strengthen security in the Arctic region and counter threats from Russia and China.”
Dick Schoof
Swedish Foreign Minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard said that Trump’s demands had received “well-earned criticism, that is also why we have repeated that we will not be blackmailed.” Stenergard added, “It appears that our work together with allies has had an impact.”
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