Under the agreement, the United States would gain access to the Arctic island for an unlimited period of time and at no cost.
President Donald Trump said on Jan. 22 that the United States is negotiating an arrangement to secure full access to Greenland with no payment in return and unconstrained by any time limit, with the president previously describing U.S control of the Arctic island as essential to both national and international security.
In remarks to Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, Trump said that the details of the deal are still being finalized, but that, “essentially, it’s total access” to Greenland for the United States, which will not “have to pay anything” in exchange and will not be subjected to any time caps.
“There’s no end, there’s no time limit,” Trump said. “We’re not doing a 99-year or a 10-year [deal] or anything else.”
Trump said that the deal would provide broad U.S. military access to Greenland and reiterated his plans for the construction of a “Golden Dome” missile defense shield that he said would be made in the United States.
His comments follow a Jan. 21 meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, after which NATO said talks were underway among allies aimed at ensuring Arctic security and preventing Russia and China from gaining a foothold in Greenland.
Discussions are underway among allies to bolster Arctic security, led by NATO’s seven Arctic-member states, a spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
“The Secretary General had a very productive meeting with President Trump during which they discussed the critical significance of security in the Arctic region to all Allies, including the United States,” NATO spokesperson Alison Hart said in a Jan. 21 emailed statement.
Hart said details of the framework deal remained sparse and were still being negotiated.
“Discussions among NATO Allies on the framework the President referenced will focus on ensuring Arctic security through the collective efforts of Allies, especially the seven Arctic Allies,” she said. “Negotiations between Denmark, Greenland, and the United States will go forward aimed at ensuring that Russia and China never gain a foothold—economically or militarily—in Greenland.”
Rutte, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 21, said Trump was accurate to focus on Russian and Chinese activity in the region as warming temperatures and melting ice open new shipping corridors.
“When it comes to the Arctic, I think President Trump is right. Other leaders in NATO are right. We need to defend the Arctic,” Rutte said, adding that opening sea lanes could offer opportunities for Russian and Chinese activity.
Trump later announced what he described as a prospective deal in a Truth Social post and described the framework as beneficial for both the United States and the NATO alliance.
“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” he wrote.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff were tasked with finalizing negotiations in the coming weeks, according to Trump.
By Tom Ozimek
