A potential crisis sparked by President Donald Trump’s effort to acquire Greenland was temporarily eased through discussions with NATO, though specifics regarding the future U.S. presence on the semi-autonomous Danish island could lead to renewed friction.
In an interview, Trump stated that the United States would obtain sovereignty over the areas of Greenland containing American military installations, effectively taking possession of the land.
“Yeah,” he informed the Post. “We’ll have everything we want. We have some interesting talks going on.”
However, the report noted that one potential plan being considered would not involve the U.S. owning Greenlandic land, but would still grant it sovereignty over its bases, like the Pituffik Space Base.
According to a source who spoke to the Post, this type of agreement would be similar to the sovereign control the United Kingdom maintains over its military bases in Cyprus.
These comments were made shortly after Trump rescinded his threat to levy tariffs on multiple NATO nations if they did not endorse his attempt to gain control of Greenland.
After meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump accepted a “framework” for a prospective security agreement. While details were limited, Trump suggested it would provide the U.S. with “total access” to Greenland and include his “Golden Dome” missile-defense program.
A NATO spokesperson stated at the time that Rutte “did not propose any compromise to sovereignty during his meeting with President Trump,” and confirmed that talks between Denmark, Greenland, and the U.S. would continue to safeguard the island from threats posed by Russia and China.
Nevertheless, Trump’s assertion that the U.S. will hold sovereignty in the locations of its Greenland bases is likely to provoke opposition from European leaders.
When questioned on Thursday about the possibility of U.S. sovereignty over small sections of the island, Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen responded, “we are ready to negotiate a better partnership and so on, but sovereignty is a red line.”
Echoing this sentiment, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen declared “we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty” and further stated, “I have been informed that this has not been the case.”
Her office did not provide an immediate comment on Trump’s interview.
Trump’s unpredictable nature and propensity for abrupt policy shifts cast a shadow over negotiations concerning U.S. bases in Greenland.
The instability of any accords reached by Trump was underscored by the Greenland crisis, an episode in which he also declined to dismiss the possibility of deploying U.S. military force against NATO allies.
Even after securing a trade agreement with the European Union last year that established a 15% tariff rate for most goods, he pledged to impose an extra 10% tariff on EU and non-EU countries, which would later increase to 25%.
Trump has also shown a revived willingness to employ tariffs as an instrument of foreign policy. On Saturday, he announced the U.S. would impose tariffs if it finalizes a trade deal with China, just days after expressing his support for an agreement.
It was not apparent from Trump’s social media post on Saturday whether his new threat targeting Ottawa would also revoke the tariff exemption for imports under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact.
Furthermore, earlier this month he said the U.S. will enforce secondary sanctions on nations that trade with Iran, as he aims to increase pressure on Tehran during anti-government protests. This move could jeopardize his tariff truce with China, a significant importer of Iranian oil.