President Donald Trump, a perpetual risk to the security and safety of each democratic nation on the planet, introduced Wednesday that he has a “concept of a deal” with European international locations involving his plan to “acquire” Greenland.
It’s unclear if meaning the U.S. could have some new management over the nation. But he stated that his plan to impose 10% tariffs on all of the European international locations that had despatched troops to defend Greenland in opposition to a U.S. invasion was off. Those tariffs had initially been threatened for Feb. 1 and have been going to be raised to 25% in June if Greenland wasn’t handed over to U.S. management.
Appearing in an interview with CNBC’s Joe Kernen from Davos, Switzerland, the U.S. president was requested for particulars, however Trump wasn’t giving up a lot. He even stated there was “pretty much the concept of a deal,” which was about as non-committal because it comes.
The quick model: It’s a deal that will be achieved “forever” (Trump has beforehand instructed buying Greenland below a 99-year lease), some form of mineral deal can be included, and it entails the safety of the Arctic area.
Trump: “We have a concept of a deal. I think it’s gonna be a very good deal for the United States. Also for them. And we’re gonna work together on something having to do with the arctic as a whole, but also Greenland. And it has to do with the security and other things.”
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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 21, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Trump apparently negotiated this take care of Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, but it surely’s not clear what number of different international locations could also be concerned within the discussions. Kernen requested Trump if Rutte was talking with Denmark, which controls the semi-autonomous territory of Greenland. Trump replied, “I assume he’s been speaking to them, I assume he’s been speaking to all of them.”
Trump went on to say that Rutte was a “very strong leader,” suggesting that he thinks the Secretary General of NATO is a few form of pure consultant of European international locations.
Rutte is a huge fan of Trump and has beforehand referred to the MAGA madman as “daddy.” And it’s fully potential that Trump both misinterpreted Rutte’s fandom as a concession handy over Greenland indirectly (one thing Rutte doesn’t have the authority to do) or that Rutte genuinely made some form of supply for the nation to be absorbed by the U.S.
If Rutte actually had spoken with Denmark about any main concessions for handing over management, it looks like one thing he would’ve talked about to Trump. The president’s reply doesn’t encourage any confidence that one thing tangible has been achieved.
NATO launched a assertion not lengthy after the CNBC interview aired that was equally imprecise about what had been agreed to: “Talks among NATO allies on the framework Trump referenced will focus on ensuring Arctic security through the collective efforts of allies, especially the seven Arctic allies.”
Trump complained concerning the inventory market, whining that at any time when he proclaims nice information, the market appears to go down. Markets rallied after Trump’s Truth Social publish about a potential deal on Greenland being introduced, and his interview on CNBC aired about an hour later.
The CNBC interview, carried out by super-MAGA-fan Joe Kernen, was embarrassingly flattering of Trump. At one level, Trump stated Kernen was “too young” to recollect a earlier period, resulting in a gag-inducing volley of flattery concerning the males’s respective ages and youthfulness.
Trump additionally stated he was going to promote Venezuela’s oil to assist the nation, however “we’re going to keep some.” Trump has lengthy complained that the Iraq War was a blunder just because the U.S. didn’t preserve the oil, as he put it.
President Trump has ramped up his threats in opposition to Greenland in current days, making a stunningly terrible speech on the subject on Wednesday on the World Economic Forum. At one level, Trump referred to Iceland when he clearly meant Denmark.
Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, Finland, and the Netherlands all despatched a small quantity of troops to Greenland in an effort to dissuade Trump from attacking. Global leaders have pushed again in opposition to Trump’s plan to invade Greenland, with some of America’s most steadfast allies speaking in ways in which make it clear they’re achieved placing up with the nation’s bullshit. French President Emmanuel Macron stated in a speech on Tuesday that his nation prefers respect to bullies and prefers science to conspiracies, clear references to Trump’s worldview.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech on Tuesday equally stated that American hegemony was helpful for a time and instructed that his nation’s relationship with the U.S. was ceaselessly modified and wouldn’t be going again to regular, because it have been. “This bargain no longer works. Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” Carney stated.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard signaled cautious optimism that issues would work out, however pressured they received’t be blackmailed over Greenland.
“Good that Trump has now backed away from tariffs on those of us who have supported Denmark and Greenland,” Stenergard wrote on X, in accordance with an English language translation from DW. “The demands about moving borders has received well-earned criticism. That is also why we have repeated that we will not be blackmailed. It appears that our work together with allies has had an impact.”
Presumably, we’ll study extra from the Europeans within the days and weeks forward in the case of the long run of Greenland. But no matter deal might ultimately be reached, the U.S. has set itself down a lonely path. America is not a true ally to the liberal democracies of the world. And even when some form of understanding is developed between the U.S. and Europe about extra navy property in Greenland, nothing is stopping Trump from later saying he’s sad with the association and threatening to invade once more.
