Filenews 26 January 2026
By Sara Dorn
Donald Trump's announcement of a provisional agreement on the acquisition of Greenland has caused confusion among world leaders, as details made public are either unclear or contradictory, while Greenland and Danish officials have said they do not know the content of the framework agreement.
Greenland's Prime Minister, Jens Frederick Nielsen, told reporters at a news conference: "I don't know the content of the agreement or the negotiation regarding my country, as I did not participate in the discussions," but added that "there is a high-level working group working to find a solution."
Nielsin pointed out that there had been no discussions "about an agreement on Greenland's mineral resources", contrary to the claims of Trump, who speaking to CNBC said the agreement could include "mineral extraction rights".
Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen have rejected the possibility of the US claiming sovereignty over some territories of the Arctic island for military bases, following a report in the New York Times that the issue could be included in the agreement, citing three senior officials, on condition of anonymity.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Trump reached a verbal agreement on Greenland on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, but a written agreement has not been drafted, according to unnamed sources familiar with the discussions who spoke to CNN. The same sources said that Rutte and Trump discussed how to exclude China and Russia from any kind of investment in Greenland.
Adding to the confusion is uncertainty about whether the deal meets Trump's wishes to acquire Greenland. The US president repeatedly avoided commenting.
But Trump argued that the U.S. would have "all the military access we want" to Greenland as part of the proposed deal, telling Fox Business: "We're really negotiating the details of it now, but essentially, it's full access... There is no end, there is no time limit."
Frederiksen said Rutte "has no mandate to negotiate on behalf of either Greenland or Denmark". She noted that she is open to discussions to strengthen NATO's involvement in Arctic security, adding however that Denmark "wishes to continue to engage in a constructive dialogue with allies on how to strengthen security in the Arctic, including the US Golden Dome, provided that this is done with respect for our territorial integrity."
The deal could include an update to the 1951 treaty between the U.S. and Denmark, which gives the U.S. broad authority to "construct, install, maintain and operate" military bases in Greenland, "house personnel" and "control landings, takeoffs, anchorages, dockings, movements and operation of ships, aircraft and watercraft," according to the New York Times.
For his part, Rutte told Reuters that he hoped the agreement would be finalized "in early 2026".
In this climate, Trump suddenly abruptly revised his aggressive stance on the acquisition of Greenland, de-escalating the tension he had caused by announcing that he would impose tariffs on NATO allies that stand in the way of his Greenland ambitions.
In his speech in Davos on Wednesday, Trump said he would not use military force to seize Greenland, after leaving open for months the possibility of an unprecedented move that threatened to rupture the NATO alliance. However, Trump reiterated in his speech that the US is the only country capable of defending Greenland from Russia and China. Trump then cancelled a plan he had announced on Saturday to impose new tariffs on eight NATO countries, after saying after his meeting with Rutte that there was a framework agreement for the sides to reach a final agreement.
