President Donald J. Trump announced Wednesday that he would not impose tariffs on eight European countries, which were scheduled to take effect on February 1, following their opposition to U.S. control of Greenland.
The decision followed a “very productive meeting” with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, during which the two leaders agreed on a framework for a future deal covering Greenland and the broader Arctic region, according to Trump.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, Switzerland, Trump stated: “Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region.”
Trump also indicated that Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and others would handle negotiations on Greenland, reporting directly to him.
The suspended tariffs, initially set at 10 percent and planned to rise to 25 percent by June if European nations did not comply with Trump’s demands, have been deferred.
Denmark’s foreign minister rejected U.S. calls for immediate negotiations over Greenland, stating: “We will not enter into any negotiations on the basis of giving up fundamental principles.”
The European Union had previously scheduled an emergency summit Thursday to address the situation.
