Trump’s NATO deal would mean US mining and missiles in Greenland

The deal that persuaded President Donald Trump to defuse an escalating crisis over Greenland paves the way for NATO to beef up security in the Arctic region and fend off any threat from Russia or China.

The “framework” cited by Trump after his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland late Wednesday entails the stationing of US missiles and mining rights aimed at keeping Chinese interests out, and a bolstered NATO presence, according to a European official briefed on the talks.

The pact locked in soon after Trump’s arrival at the Swiss resort also hinges on the President standing by his promise not to impose tariffs against European nations, the official said on condition of anonymity.

“When it comes to protection of the Arctic, with a priority on Greenland, we have to spend more energy, more time, more focus on this because we know the sea lanes are opening up,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told Bloomberg in an interview.

Elements of what was discussed in Davos were already on the table. Some was along the lines of what was produced last week in Washington, when a Danish delegation met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This involved a working group to address US security concerns.

European NATO allies had also introduced a proposal for alliance-led activity focused on the Arctic and Greenland. Another element of the deal involves refreshing a 1951 agreement that gives the US military wide latitude to defend Greenland.

President Trump told Fox Business that the terms of the deal were being negotiated, “but, essentially, it’s total access.” “There’s no end, there’s no time limit,” Trump said. “We’re getting everything we want at no cost.”

This deal hasn’t officially been agreed upon, but the framework looks good enough to provide hope that all parties can be at least moderately satisfied, while defusing a possibly cataclysmic crisis in NATO.