Trump's shift on Greenland followed aides' push against military option - Reuters
Kyiv • UNN
President Trump backed away from threats of military force and tariffs to acquire Greenland. The decision ended weeks of political chaos and panic among US allies.
US President Donald Trump's abandonment of threats to use force as an option for acquiring Greenland ended weeks of political chaos, as leading aides sought both to satisfy the president's demands and to defuse the panic they caused among US allies, citing two sources familiar with the negotiations, Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
In a statement on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump ruled out the use of military force after weeks of refusing to do so, and in a social media post said he would no longer impose tariffs he had threatened to implement on February 1.
Trump assured that the US would not use force against Greenland21.01.26, 17:42 • 6190 views
White House officials pushed for a less provocative approach, with several key members of the president's team expressing no enthusiasm for the possible use of military force to seize Danish territory, two White House sources said.
Stating on Wednesday that tariffs were not being considered, Trump said that he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte "formed the basis of a future agreement on Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic region" during talks in Davos. He instructed senior officials to negotiate a potential agreement.
This episode, the publication writes, highlighted how Trump's long-standing fascination with acquiring Greenland constantly clashes with diplomatic and political reality, symbolizing a second term defined by sharp policy shifts and rapid reversals. Again and again, the Republican president has changed course on tariffs and other issues under economic, political, or market pressure.
Asked about Trump's aides not seriously considering military options for Greenland, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly replied: "The White House does not rule out options for President Trump unless he does so himself."
"He announced today that he would not use force to seize Greenland, and the entire administration will follow his lead," Kelly said, adding that if a deal is reached, the United States will achieve its goals in Greenland with minimal long-term costs.
In recent weeks, Trump has revived his long-standing ambitions to acquire the Arctic island, arguing that it is vital for US national security, as great power competition in the Arctic intensifies.
Leaders of Greenland and Denmark, which controls the territory, rejected Trump's proposals, emphasizing that the island's future depends on its people and accusing the United States of intimidation tactics.
In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said he would impose a wave of tariff increases on European allies until the US was allowed to purchase Greenland, which major EU states viewed as blackmail.
The idea of imposing tariffs came from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other cabinet members, White House sources said.
The threats in Trump's post came after some European countries sent a small number of troops to Greenland, allegedly to show that they were serious about US warnings regarding the island's security.
France asked NATO to conduct exercises in Greenland amid Trump's threats21.01.26, 11:02 • 3114 views
Ahead of the Davos summit, European leaders intensified their opposition to the US acquisition of Greenland.
"He doesn't like to be cornered," one White House source said, explaining Trump's tariff threat.
The statement caused a scramble in the White House to develop a tariff plan and understand how it would be implemented. Various agencies are still working through the "cycle of retaliation and countermeasures with tariffs" against EU members, a White House source said.
Trump first floated the idea of taking control of Greenland in 2019, but intensified his rhetoric after returning to power a year ago. In meetings last year, US officials assured their Danish counterparts that relations were stabilizing, creating the impression that any military takeover of the Arctic territory was no longer a priority for the administration, according to two separate sources familiar with those discussions.
The situation changed in December when Trump suddenly announced that Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry would be a special envoy to Greenland and renewed his efforts to acquire the territory, apparently emboldened by the successful January 3 operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
While aides generally agreed on the goal of acquiring Greenland, they were divided on the president's aggressive approach, two White House sources said.
In most White House meetings, more officials urged caution than those who pushed for the United States to seize the island by force, said sources who were unaware of serious discussions about military options for acquiring Greenland.
Tom Dance, Trump's appointee as head of the US Arctic Research Commission, along with US Vice President J.D. Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, "pushed for a compromise solution" on Greenland, while Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller expressed willingness to keep the issue of annexation and potential use of military force on the negotiating table, sources said.
A US State Department official said: "President Trump's team, including Secretary of State Rubio, regularly presents him with a range of options on issues of national importance."
Trump himself was driving the issue, sources said. One of them, speaking before Trump's change of position on tariffs and the use of force, said the US president wanted to keep the option of a military move open.
US officials did not say what a military operation in Greenland would entail. As a Danish territory, the island is already a NATO member, and the United States has a military base there.
A 1951 agreement between Denmark and the United States allows the US military free access to the territory to defend Greenland or other NATO territories – which experts say already gives Washington the ability to send additional troops to Greenland.
Last week, Vance and Rubio hosted the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland at the White House for talks that Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described as "frank but constructive."
According to one White House source, military action was not seriously considered at that meeting, and Vance discussed how a solution should be found despite seemingly incompatible positions.
Trump's Greenland proposal respects Danish sovereignty - sources22.01.26, 06:51 • 2402 views