Trump dials down on Greenland; tells NATO Secy General, ‘Better if we have Greenland’

DAVOS: After weeks of strong-arm tactics and rhetoric on the issue of getting control of Greenland, US President Donald Trump appears to have settled down. On Wednesday night, the US President met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and spoke of why the US wants to have a presence in the Arctic Island.

“Price of safety for national and international security; it is better that we have Greenland than it is without, it’s going to be better for Europe and us”, Trump said when asked if he sees a price for Greenland. “We want Greenland only for security, not for anything else; even Mark wants security for NATO and beyond”, he added.

Trump also heaped praise on Rutte’s work, and later in his post on Truth Social said the framework for a future deal on Greenland was done. Donald Trump said, “He (Mark Rutte) is doing a fantastic job. We will be talking about many things. We lifted GDP from 2% to 5% together…The trip has been amazing so far”.

BREAKING: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confronts Trump to his face about the lies he’s told about NATO. Rutte reminds Trump that soldiers from NATO nations fought and died alongside U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. This confrontation was long overdue.
pic.twitter.com/Ime7QCLTPl

— Trump Lie Tracker (Commentary Account) (@MAGALieTracker) January 21, 2026

In reply, Rutte assured Trump of Europe’s unflinching support in the event of any likely military act against the US. “If ever US is under attack, your allies will be with you, be absolutely assured,” said the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

That was followed by a post on Truth Social by Trump which detailed some of the highlights of a prospective deal, including the US building the Golden Dome on Greenland.

“Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region. This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations. Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st. Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland. Further information will be made available as discussions progress. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and various others, as needed, will be responsible for the negotiations — They will report directly to me”, he posted.

Part of the prospective deal on Greenland includes renegotiating the 1951 agreement that formalized US military presence on the island, CNN reported.

Separately, a NATO official told CNN the alliance discussed the possibility of Denmark allowing the US to build more military bases on land considered sovereign US territory. (ANI)