Trump sought Greenland deal that would hand U.S. more control over security

Despite his public threats about taking control of Greenland, including potentially by military force, President Donald Trump arrived in Davos on Wednesday looking to negotiate a deal that would give the U.S. more control over the Danish territory’s security and in the broader Arctic region, a congressional official and two former U.S. officials told NBC News.

Trump dispatched senior U.S. officials to Davos ahead of his trip to lay the groundwork for an agreement, the officials said.

Trump’s pressure campaign rattled longtime U.S. partners, and his threat to impose tariffs on countries standing in his way on Greenland escalated the clash into a transatlantic crisis.

He backed off that threat after meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, saying in a Truth Social post that he would not proceed with the tariffs and announcing the pair had agreed to the “framework of a future deal” on Greenland.

Trump went into the meeting with the expectation that he would announce a broad framework of a deal on Greenland, the congressional official and one of the former U.S. officials said.

Negotiations on a deal are preliminary, and it’s not clear the president will secure a final agreement or what that would entail.

Trump has mentioned possibly adding U.S. troops and more military bases in Greenland, particularly with respect to supporting the Golden Dome missile defense system, the two former U.S. officials said.

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Trump said during his Davos address that he would not use military force to acquire Greenland, a position he had privately conveyed to his close advisers and with allies in advance, according to the congressional official, the two former U.S. officials and a European diplomat.

“The private signaling to allies was that this wasn’t going to be Venezuela,” the European diplomat said.

An increased NATO presence in the Arctic would send a stronger message to China and Russia and support the Golden Dome missile defense system, the European diplomat said.

Some of the president’s close advisers have tried to persuade him in recent days against the idea of using military force to take over Greenland, a current U.S. official, the congressional official and the two former U.S. officials said.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine laid out potential options for Trump and the impacts of using military force to seize Greenland, and the president decided against it, the current U.S. official and congressional official said. A spokesperson for Caine did not respond to a request for comment from NBC News.

America’s NATO allies have also tried to convince Trump that acquiring Greenland, particularly through military force, would hurt the U.S. in part by shattering longtime alliances.

Denmark welcomed the news of the framework deal, but on Thursday the country’s prime minister insisted it can’t negotiate on its sovereignty. A NATO spokesperson also stressed that Rutte did not propose any compromise to sovereignty during his meeting with Trump in Davos on Wednesday.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement, “If this deal goes through, and President Trump is very hopeful it will, the United States will be achieving all of its strategic goals with respect to Greenland, at very little cost, forever. President Trump is proving once again he’s the Dealmaker in Chief. As details are finalized by all parties involved, they will be released accordingly.”

Trump told reporters before the meeting with Rutte that he could see there being a reasonable price for Greenland, but did not say what that figure could be.

NBC News has reported that Greenland could cost as much as $700 billion to purchase.

In Trump’s speech at Davos, he set up a choice for European leaders, telling the crowd that “we want a piece of ice for world protection, and they won’t give it.”

“You can say yes and we will be appreciative,” Trump said. “Or, say no and we will remember.”

The European diplomat said U.S. allies have been looking for options that “would make Trump happy without selling Greenland.”

The official was hopeful Davos would offer an opportunity for direct conversations with Trump on a path forward. “Everyone is looking for an offramp, but I think only President Trump knows what that could be,” the diplomat said.