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Donald Trump says the deal he claims to have reached on Greenland will give the US “total” and indefinite access to the Danish territory.
Speaking to reporters on his way back from Davos, Trump said the deal would be “much more generous to the United States, so much more generous”, while skirting questions on the territory’s sovereignty.
Greenland’s prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed Trump’s decision earlier this week to rule out military action but said “I don’t know what there is in the agreement, or the deal, about my country.”
Late on Thursday, the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said relations between the bloc and the US had “taken a big blow”, even after Trump withdrew his threat to impose tariffs on European nations over the Greenland row.
And Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte confronted Trump on his claims that Nato wouldn’t “be there for us if we gave them a call”.
“Let me tell you, they will – and they did in Afghanistan,” Rutte said.
Trump shrugged off those comments, telling Fox: “We’ve never needed them. They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan… and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”
Trump-Greenland latest: Key pointsNato and Denmark working together on Arctic security
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said on Friday that he and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen were working together on Arctic security in Brussels.
“We’re working together to ensure that the whole of NATO is safe & secure and will build on our cooperation to enhance deterrence & defence in the Arctic,” he wrote on social media.
“Denmark continues to make robust contributions to our shared security and is ramping up investment to do even more!”
Mette Frederiksen (L) and Mark Rutte (R) (Mark Rutte / X)
James Reynolds23 January 2026 10:00
European shares fall amid fallout from tariff threats
European shares fell on Friday and were on course to snap their longest run of weekly gains since May, as investors weighed the potential fallout from the latest flare-up in trade tensions linked to Greenland.
The pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX edged 0.2% lower by 0803 GMT, poised to snap a five-week winning streak. The benchmark index has lost 1% so far this week.
Markets were jolted this week by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to implement tariffs on eight European countries until Washington is allowed to buy Greenland.
James Reynolds23 January 2026 09:31
Danish PM to visit Greenland today
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she will travel to Nuuk later on Friday to meet with Greenland’s prime minister.
James Reynolds23 January 2026 09:20
Trump backed down because the UK and Europe said no: Lammy
Donald Trump backed down from threatening Greenland because the UK stood up for the island’s sovereignty, David Lammy told the BBC.
The deputy prime minister said that Trump had “responded to our concerns” about using force or imposing tariffs to take control of the Danish territory.
“Let’s remember what has actually happened. Donald Trump stepped back from any suggestion of force, and he stepped back from the use of tariffs,” he told Nick Robinson’s Political Thinking.
“Why? Because his close friend the United Kingdom and European partners expressed their displeasure, and he has stepped back.
“What’s really gone on is actually our great ally, the United States, despite the noise, has responded to our concerns.”
James Reynolds23 January 2026 09:00
Recap: Starmer says world leaders can now ‘get on with the job’ of protecting Greenland
Sir Keir Starmer said world leaders can now “get on with the job” of protecting Greenland after Donald Trump dropped his tariff threats.
The prime minister and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen met at Chequers on Thursday, a day after the US president dropped tariff threats against European nations opposed to his ambitions to take over the mineral-rich island.
Speaking after the meeting, Sir Keir told broadcasters: “Today, we actually start the hard work of making sure that security in the Arctic is enhanced.”
He added: “What’s now happened is good in the sense the threat of tariffs has gone, and now we can get on with the job of rolling up our sleeves and answering the question, how do we improve security in the Arctic?”
James Reynolds23 January 2026 09:00
Greenlandic MP urges against Nato cutting deals on its behalf
Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic member of parliament, told The Independent of the recent ‘framework’ hashed out between Nato and Donald Trump: “Nato has no mandate to make deals about Greenland.”
In Greenland, we have a saying, which is: ‘Nothing about us without us’. This applies to Nato matters as well.
“All decisions concerning Greenland are to be decided by Naalakkersuisut, government of Greenland.”
James Reynolds23 January 2026 08:30
France in the dark on Greenland talks
France’s foreign minister said on BFM TV this morning that France still has no details on the deal reached between Donald Trump and Mark Rutte on Greenland.
James Reynolds23 January 2026 08:06
Greenland PM stresses need for calm diplomacy
Greenland’s prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the country is under intense pressure and stressed the need for allied support and calm diplomacy.
Speaking to international media in Nuuk, he said: “The support of our allies is crucial in this situation. Our goal and desire is to continue a peaceful dialogue.”
He added, according to Sermitsiaq, a weekly paper in Greenland: “I will say it again. Greenland chooses the Greenland we know today as part of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Nielsen added: “We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU. We choose Nato.”
“It’s very difficult when you hear threats every night about being acquired or taken. Until yesterday we couldn’t rule anything out.“Imagine being a Greenlander, a peaceful people, who sees in the media every day that someone wants to take your freedom,” the PM said.
Maroosha Muzaffar23 January 2026 07:30
What is in Trump’s Greenland ‘deal’ – and what is missing?
Mr Rutte said that Denmark would retain its sovereignty and stressed that Nato allies would have to step up on Arctic security “within months” under the framework deal currently being discussed.
Maroosha Muzaffar23 January 2026 07:00
Trump hails ‘incredible’ trip to Davos
Donald Trump praised his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos as he travelled back to Washington, posting on social media that “it was an incredible time in Davos”.
The US president said the framework for a future Greenland deal was “being worked on” and would be “amazing” for the United States.
He also promoted his newly launched Board of Peace, describing it as “very special” and “something that the world has never seen before”.
Maroosha Muzaffar23 January 2026 06:30