(Update: informed circles on discussions)
DAVOS (dpa-AFX) – First Donald Trump gives a speech full of hostility towards Europe – then suddenly there seems to be a rapprochement in the Greenland conflict. At the World Economic Forum in Davos in the evening, events escalated to Trump’s request to annex Greenland to the USA.
The US President does not want to carry out his tariff threat against Germany and other European countries on February 1st of 10 percent on goods imported into the USA. The reason: There was a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. What exactly was discussed is pretty unclear shortly afterwards. Trump simply announces on his Truth Social mouthpiece that a framework has been created for a future agreement on Greenland and the entire Arctic region – so there should be no additional tariffs. Rutte confirmed Trump’s information about a framework for a possible Greenland agreement.
Just a few hours earlier, the EU Parliament had stopped the ratification of the trade deal with the USA in response to Trump’s tariff threat.
Trump had threatened that
It wasn’t even a week ago that the US President announced the tariffs in an unprecedented step with reference to the Greenland conflict – it was intended to punish eight NATO countries that had expressed resistance to Trump’s claims to ownership of the Arctic island. Among them is Germany. After the first 10 percent, tariffs should rise to 25 percent on June 1st – on all goods sent to the USA. A tariff rate of 15 percent has currently applied to most EU exports to America since the summer.
What did Trump and Rutte agree?
Trump initially left open specific details about what the framework for a future agreement would look like. When asked whether it was about a deal to own Greenland, Trump only told US broadcaster CNBC that it was “a little complex.” However, he emphasized that the agreement would be “forever.” This involves, among other things, security issues.
“The day ends better than it began,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told Danish radio. “I’m taking two things with me from Davos: that Trump says he won’t attack Greenland (…) and that the tariff war is on standby. That’s positive.”
Information from informed circles in Davos indicated that the agreement between Trump and Rutte does not appear to be about ownership of the entire island. Accordingly, a defense agreement for Greenland concluded between the USA and Denmark in 1951 should be reworked. There will also be the issue of investment control – the Americans want to have a say in who invests in Greenland and, for example, mines raw materials. According to the information, part of the agreement should also be a stronger commitment by the European NATO states in the Arctic region.
The New York Times reported, citing government officials, that part of the discussion in NATO about a possible compromise was that Denmark could give the United States sovereignty over small areas of Greenland where the United States could then establish military bases. But the report also made it clear that a lot still seems to be in flux.
Trump’s speech in Davos
The day had started completely differently. A “big, beautiful piece of ice” – that’s what Trump called what he wants. In his speech to the powerful people from business and politics in the Swiss Alpine town, he repeatedly returned to the core of the recent excitement – he demanded Greenland. This is the only way the USA is, this is the only way the world is safe, said Trump. He wants to refrain from a violent takeover of Greenland. But he wants to negotiate a deal immediately. The pressure on Europe, which Trump is threatening with new tariffs over Greenland, continued to grow after his speech.
Mantra Greenland purchase
The US President handed it out in a familiar manner. He spoke condescendingly about the Europeans, who would always give in to him. In between he said that he loved Europe.
Trump repeatedly attacked NATO in the speech, which Rutte also watched. It is the USA that almost completely finances the alliance, according to the accusation. And the only thing he wanted in return was this piece of ice called Greenland. This ran through the speech like a mantra. Sometimes he seemed to slip up and talk about Iceland (“Iceland”).
“I have great respect for both the people of Greenland and the people of Denmark,” Trump said. But every NATO ally must be able to defend its own territory – and Greenland and Denmark cannot do that.
Trump’s Greenland claims and the associated threats have put the Europeans in a difficult position: They cannot simply risk breaking with Trump, because their countries are militarily dependent on the United States. Or as Trump says: NATO would be nothing without him.
He painted a picture of strength for the USA – a year after taking office as the 47th President of the United States. The USA is the hottest country in the world.
Trump: A protective shield on Greenland
There are increasing signs of why Trump could be targeting Greenland: He is planning to build the largest “Golden Dome” that has ever existed on the island. That would be a defense system similar to what Israel uses. The protective shield is intended to defend North America. The agreement with Rutte could now give Trump the opportunity to build this “dome” on Greenland.
The Trump administration has long claimed control over the so-called hemisphere with the double continent of America and the surrounding islands. Many examples show this: the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”, attacks on ships allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and the East Pacific, the overthrow of the authoritarian Venezuelan head of state Nicolás Maduro
– and now the claim to ownership of Greenland.
Merz can answer tomorrow
There was an initial cautious reaction from the federal government to Trump’s withdrawal of tariffs. “After the back and forth of the last few days, we are now waiting for the substance of what agreement there is between Mr. Rutte and Mr. Trump,” said Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil (SPD) on ZDF’s “Heute Journal.” On Thursday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz could react to Trump’s announcement. Then it’s his turn in Davos to give a speech./rin/DP/he