DAVOS, Switzerland – President Donald Trump said on Thursday he secured total and permanent U.S. access to Greenland in what he described as a deal with NATO, while the alliance called on members to strengthen Arctic security to counter threats from Russia and China.
The announcement came as Trump stepped back from earlier threats, ruling out seizing Greenland by force and easing tensions that had raised concerns about a major rupture in transatlantic relations. Details of the agreement remain unclear, and Denmark insisted its sovereignty over Greenland was not negotiable.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed Trump’s comments but said much remains uncertain. “I don’t know what there is in the agreement, or the deal, about my country,” he said in Nuuk. “We are ready to discuss a lot of things and we are ready to negotiate a better partnership and so on. But sovereignty is a red line. We cannot cross the red lines. We have to respect our territorial integrity. We have to respect international law and sovereignty.”
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Trump agreed to hold further talks between the U.S., Denmark and Greenland to update a 1951 agreement governing U.S. military access. The framework also calls for barring Chinese and Russian investments in Greenland.
Trump told Fox Business Network from Davos, Switzerland, “It’s really being negotiated now, the details of it. But essentially, it’s total access. It’s – there’s no end, there’s no time limit.” Rutte said NATO commanders will now work out the details of enhanced security requirements and hoped progress could be made by early 2026.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said no NATO negotiations had occurred regarding Greenland’s sovereignty and called for a permanent NATO presence in the Arctic, including around Greenland. “It is still a difficult and serious situation, but progress has also been made in the sense that we have now got things where they need to be. Namely that we can discuss how we promote common security in the Arctic region,” she said.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said transatlantic disagreements “are just benefiting our adversaries who are looking and enjoying the view.” Finnish President Alexander Stubb said NATO allies should have a plan to boost Arctic security by the summit in Ankara in July, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed Britain’s readiness to contribute to Arctic security.
Trump also said a deal could satisfy his goals for a “Golden Dome” missile defence system and access to critical minerals while limiting Russian and Chinese influence. Rutte clarified that minerals exploitation was not discussed and said negotiations would continue between the U.S., Denmark and Greenland.
The 1951 agreement allows the U.S. to construct military bases and operate freely in Greenland as long as Denmark and Greenland are informed. Washington currently maintains a base at Pituffik in northern Greenland.
Residents in Nuuk expressed confusion over the changing situation. Pensioner Jesper Muller said, “It’s all very confusing. One hour we are, well, almost at war. Next hour everything is fine and beautiful, and I think it’s very hard to imagine that you can build anything on it.”
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