President Donald Trump, a perpetual threat to the safety and security of every democratic country on the planet, announced Wednesday that he has a “concept of a deal” with European countries involving his plan to “acquire” Greenland.
It’s unclear if that means the U.S. will have some new control over the country. But he said that his plan to impose 10% tariffs on all the European countries that had sent troops to defend Greenland against a U.S. invasion was off. Those tariffs had originally been threatened for Feb. 1 and were going to be raised to 25% in June if Greenland wasn’t handed over to U.S. control.
Appearing in an interview with CNBC’s Joe Kernen from Davos, Switzerland, the U.S. president was asked for details, but Trump wasn’t giving up much. He even said there was “pretty much the concept of a deal,” which was about as non-committal as it comes.
The short version: It’s a deal that would be done “forever” (Trump has previously suggested purchasing Greenland under a 99-year lease), some kind of mineral deal will be included, and it involves the security of the Arctic region.
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.”
[image or embed]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 21, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Trump apparently negotiated this deal with Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, but it’s not clear how many other countries may be involved in the discussions. Kernen asked Trump if Rutte was speaking 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 some kind of natural representative of European countries.
Rutte is a big fan of Trump and has previously referred to the MAGA madman as “daddy.” And it’s entirely possible that Trump either misinterpreted Rutte’s fandom as a concession to hand over Greenland in some way (something Rutte doesn’t have the authority to do) or that Rutte genuinely made some kind of offer for the country to be absorbed by the U.S.
If Rutte truly had spoken with Denmark about any major concessions for handing over control, it seems like something he would’ve mentioned to Trump. The president’s answer doesn’t inspire any confidence that something tangible has been achieved.
NATO released a statement not long after the CNBC interview aired that was similarly vague 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 about the stock market, whining that whenever he announces great news, the market seems to go down. Markets rallied after Trump’s Truth Social post about a potential deal on Greenland being announced, and his interview on CNBC aired about an hour later.
The CNBC interview, conducted by super-MAGA-fan Joe Kernen, was embarrassingly flattering of Trump. At one point, Trump said Kernen was “too young” to remember a previous era, leading to a gag-inducing volley of flattery about the men’s respective ages and youthfulness.
Trump also said he was going to sell Venezuela’s oil to help the country, but “we’re going to keep some.” Trump has long complained that the Iraq War was a blunder simply because the U.S. didn’t keep the oil, as he put it.
President Trump has ramped up his threats against Greenland in recent days, making a stunningly awful speech on the topic on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum. At one point, Trump referred to Iceland when he clearly meant Denmark.
Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, Finland, and the Netherlands all sent a small number of troops to Greenland in an effort to dissuade Trump from attacking. Global leaders have pushed back against Trump’s plan to invade Greenland, with some of America’s most steadfast allies talking in ways that make it clear they’re done putting up with the country’s bullshit. French President Emmanuel Macron said in a speech on Tuesday that his country prefers respect to bullies and prefers science to conspiracies, clear references to Trump’s worldview.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech on Tuesday similarly said that American hegemony was useful for a time and suggested that his country’s relationship with the U.S. was forever changed and wouldn’t be going back to normal, as it were. “This bargain no longer works. Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” Carney said.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard signaled cautious optimism that things would work out, but stressed they won’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, according to 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 learn more from the Europeans in the days and weeks ahead when it comes to the future of Greenland. But whatever deal may eventually be reached, the U.S. has set itself down a lonely path. America is no longer a true ally to the liberal democracies of the world. And even if some kind of understanding is developed between the U.S. and Europe about more military assets in Greenland, nothing is stopping Trump from later saying he’s unhappy with the arrangement and threatening to invade again.
Read the full article here
