US President Donald Trump claims he has secured "total access" to Greenland under a deal with NATO head Mark Rutte. The claim comes as part of a framework agreement for cooperation on the Arctic region and is part of Trump's push to acquire the island.
The remarks were made during an interview with Fox Business Network in Davos, Switzerland, where Trump was attending the World Economic Forum. The comments came hours after Rutte told Reuters that NATO countries would need to swiftly ramp up security efforts in the Arctic to counter threats from Russia and China.
According to Trump, the access granted by the agreement is permanent and has no time limit. However, there were no immediate comments from Denmark on the remarks. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen previously stated that issues such as security, investment, and economic matters could be discussed but emphasized that Denmark cannot negotiate its sovereignty.
The framework agreement includes cooperation on a $175 billion missile defense system known as the "Golden Dome" program, which would put US weapons in space for the first time. However, details of the talks were scarce, with Rutte noting that discussions on mineral exploitation would continue between the US, Denmark, and Greenland separately.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart clarified that there was no proposal from Rutte to compromise on sovereignty during his meeting with Trump. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed Trump's U-turn on tariffs for European allies who opposed the US takeover of Greenland, urging Europeans not to write off the transatlantic partnership.
The remarks were made during an interview with Fox Business Network in Davos, Switzerland, where Trump was attending the World Economic Forum. The comments came hours after Rutte told Reuters that NATO countries would need to swiftly ramp up security efforts in the Arctic to counter threats from Russia and China.
According to Trump, the access granted by the agreement is permanent and has no time limit. However, there were no immediate comments from Denmark on the remarks. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen previously stated that issues such as security, investment, and economic matters could be discussed but emphasized that Denmark cannot negotiate its sovereignty.
The framework agreement includes cooperation on a $175 billion missile defense system known as the "Golden Dome" program, which would put US weapons in space for the first time. However, details of the talks were scarce, with Rutte noting that discussions on mineral exploitation would continue between the US, Denmark, and Greenland separately.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart clarified that there was no proposal from Rutte to compromise on sovereignty during his meeting with Trump. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed Trump's U-turn on tariffs for European allies who opposed the US takeover of Greenland, urging Europeans not to write off the transatlantic partnership.