Trump drops Feb 1 tariffs, but vows no force on Greenland

US President Donald Trump has withdrawn his threat to impose tariffs on multiple countries that oppose US control of Greenland, saying he has now reached an outline framework agreement with NATO.

“Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday (Jan 21), without providing details. He posted the message after meeting Mark Rutte, Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in Davos, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

Trump: No force to take Greenland; only the US can protect it

In a speech lasting more than an hour at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday (Jan 21), Trump again addressed Greenland, in addition to US economic issues. He said he would not use force to seize Greenland and insisted that only the United States can protect the island.

Trump argued that Greenland is not only about rare earth minerals, but more importantly about strategic national security and international security, and said he would move quickly to negotiate a purchase of Greenland.

He criticised Denmark for spending less on defence than it pledged and said: “Only the United States can protect this gigantic island, this big sheet of ice, develop it and improve it.”

He repeated that he would not resort to military action, saying in reference to taking Greenland by force: “I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”

Trump then said what the United States wants is “a place called Greenland”.

He also referred to Denmark’s defeat by Germany during World War II, saying the US stepped in and “took” the island, before returning it to Denmark after the war. “We got it, but we gave it back to Denmark after World War II,” he said, adding that the United States should have kept it—using the point to argue that the country that has been able to protect the island has been the US.

Trump: Strong America means strong NATO

Trump stressed again: “A strong and secure America means a strong NATO.”

He also rejected claims that US control of Greenland would be a threat to NATO, arguing that this was unfair, and saying the US has given a great deal to NATO while getting comparatively little back. “You wouldn’t have NATO if I didn't get involved in my first term,” he said.

Foreign media reported that on Wednesday, 21 January 2026 (local time), Trump announced he had completed a framework plan that meets his demands regarding Greenland. He said the arrangement, discussed with the NATO secretary-general, means he no longer needs to enforce new import tariffs on European countries that had opposed his ambition to bring Greenland under US control.

“Following a very productive meeting with Mark Rutte, we have established the framework of a future deal involving Greenland, and in fact covering the entire Arctic region,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He said that if successful, the outcome would be “great” for the United States and all NATO member states, adding: “Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1.”

Trump also said further discussions were continuing on the “Golden Dome” missile-defence system, reiterating that Greenland would be an especially important part of the project. Senior US officials—including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and his special envoy Steve Witkoff—would be responsible for the negotiations.

However, Trump has not clearly stated whether the new framework for Greenland includes the United States taking ownership of the island. Denmark, meanwhile, had already rejected the idea earlier the same day, saying it would not negotiate giving Greenland—an autonomous territory—to the United States.

After his post, Trump told reporters he would disclose details of the deal soon. When CNN’s Caitlan Collins asked whether the framework satisfied his desire to own Greenland, Trump paused before replying that it was a “long-term” deal—“the ultimate long-term deal”—and said he believed it would put all sides in a very good position, especially on security and minerals.

In an interview with CNBC, Trump said he had not spoken directly with Danish officials about the “concept of the plan” for Greenland, but believed Rutte had informed Denmark’s leaders. He also said the United States would be “involved” in Greenland’s mineral rights, without providing further details.

A NATO spokesperson said after the Trump–Rutte meeting that talks among Denmark, Greenland and the United States would continue, with the aim of ensuring Russia and China cannot build an economic or military foothold in Greenland. The spokesperson added that discussions would focus on strengthening Arctic security through cooperation among allies, particularly the seven countries in the Arctic region.

On the same day—before Trump posted that he would not impose tariffs on Europe—reports said the European Parliament had suspended the ratification process for an EU–US trade agreement in response to Trump. Previously, Trump had threatened a 10% tariff on goods from eight European countries starting 1 February, rising to 25% on 1 June, if no agreement on Greenland could be reached. Even with Trump now saying he will not impose the tariffs and while the Greenland issue may appear to have eased temporarily, the situation remains closely watched.