Trump declaration of Greenland framework deal met with scepticism as doubts persist | Greenland
Donald Trump’s announcement of a “framework for a future agreement” to resolve the Greenland issue, after weeks of escalating threats, was met with deep skepticism by people in the Arctic region, even as financial markets recovered and European leaders welcomed the reprieve of additional tariffs.
Just hours after the president insisted in his speech at the World Economic Forum that he wanted Greenland “including right, title and title” but backed away from threats of more belligerent military intervention – Trump took to social media after meeting with NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte to announce a “framework for a future agreement on Greenland” and dropped his threat of tariffs on eight European countries. He called later “concept of a deal” When he spoke to business network CNBC shortly after Wall Street closed.
“The day ended better than it started,” Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said. “Let’s sit down now and find out how we can address America’s security concerns in the Arctic while respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” he said.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni also welcomed Trump’s decision, but Rutte, who negotiated the deal with Trump on Wednesday, sounded a note of caution, saying there was “a lot of work to be done.”
Asked by Fox News whether Greenland would remain part of the Kingdom of Denmark under the agreement, Rutte said the issue had not been raised and gave a few more details about the agreement. NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said talks on the framework Trump mentioned would focus on ensuring Arctic security “through the collective efforts of allies.”
But some Danish lawmakers were angry, including Sascha Faxe, who was angry that Greenland was excluded from Wednesday’s talks.
“This isn’t a real negotiation; it’s just two men having a conversation,” he told Sky News. “There can’t be a deal without taking Greenland as part of the negotiations.”
The compromise agreement could allow the United States to grant unnamed authorities sovereignty over small areas of Greenland where military bases are located, according to media reports. Telegram He compares the proposal to the UK army’s bases in Cyprus, which is considered British territory.
According to the Telegraph, the framework would also potentially allow the US to mine rare earth minerals without obtaining permission from Denmark.
It’s not yet clear whether Denmark will sign the agreement, but on Wednesday night Aaja Chemnitz Larsen, a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, said the idea that NATO should have anything to say about the territory’s sovereignty or mines was “completely out of the question.”
After days of rising tensions that signaled the deepest rupture in transatlantic relations in decades and culminated in Canadian prime minister Mark Carney delivering a stirring eulogy for the rules-based order on Tuesday, the reasons for Trump’s apparent retreat remain unclear.
Swedish foreign minister Maria Stenergard said the work of European allies was “making an impact” and reiterated that they “will not be blackmailed”.
Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof described Trump’s decision to waive tariffs on European allies as a sign of “easing tensions” and EU leaders are now set to discuss their options at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday.
Others pointed to wobbles in financial markets after Trump’s more hawkish comments on Greenland on Tuesday sparked a sharp selloff in U.S. stock markets. Global markets rebounded on Wednesday after Trump announced the framework agreement and dropped the threat of tariffs.
“The market rallied when they said we wouldn’t use force,” said Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide in Boston, while financial analyst Matthew Smart said “uncertainty is now priced in.”
Others noted that Trump has a history of making escalating threats, only to back off when financial markets begin to decline. After reining in the global trade war in April last year, following a debacle in indicators, the Financial Times used the acronym “Taco” – “Trump Always Chickens Out” – to describe the phenomenon.
USA broadcast Semaphore reported He noted that Trump appeared disappointed with the turn in markets this week and that his hostility towards his European allies carried major risks.
“Countries like Britain, Belgium and France hold trillions of dollars in U.S. assets such as treasuries. If they decided to sell them, interest rates could skyrocket,” wrote reporter Eleanor Mueller.
Michael McFaul, the former US ambassador to Russia and an outspoken critic of Trump, suggested that the change in tone was a result of various pressures on the president: “United Europeans, the market, other US politicians, independent media and public opinion have come together to stop Trump’s mad game to invade and annex Greenland.”
But in Greenland, Trump’s announcement was met with serious skepticism.
“He’s lying,” said a reporter from the capital Nuuk, interviewed by the AFP news agency.
This sentiment was shared by maintenance worker Anak, who told AFP: “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”
