According to Trump, the negotiations were successful, and the leaders of the two countries reached preliminary conditions for a future deal, which, he noted, would be beneficial for both the U.S. and all NATO members.
“Given the understanding reached, I am canceling the introduction of tariffs that were set to take effect on February 1,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social page.
These tariffs were announced just days before the opening of the World Economic Forum and were set to start at a rate of 10% on goods from France, Germany, the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and one eighth country, increasing to 25% by June.
The U.S. President insisted that the tariffs would remain in place until European countries supported the idea of purchasing Greenland from Denmark.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and other officials will negotiate on behalf of Trump and report back to him on the outcomes.
These events occurred shortly after Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he emphasized the importance of Greenland for U.S. national and global security and urged NATO members to agree to U.S. oversight, adding that “we would be very grateful” for this.
Trump also noted that the use of force to control the Arctic island is not being considered.
In his speech, Rutte called for a diplomatic approach, noting the existing tensions within NATO and expressing readiness to seek solutions regarding Greenland.
Earlier this week, Trump published a private message in which Rutte promised to work on finding a solution to the situation.
The threats of tariffs prompted urgent meetings within the EU, scheduled for Thursday, to discuss possible countermeasures. French President Emmanuel Macron proposed using the EU's anti-coercion instrument ACI, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the bloc's response would be “unequivocal, singular, and proportional.”
After the announcement of the decision not to impose tariffs, Trump told CNBC that a “concept of a deal” that meets his expectations regarding Greenland is currently being discussed.
