President Trump said on Thursday that the United States would gain "total access" to Greenland under a "framework" deal unveiled a day earlier at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "We're talking about, it's really being negotiated now, the details of it, but essentially it's total access," Trump told Fox Business Network's "Mornings with Maria."
"There's no end, there's no time limit," Trump added. The president, who a day earlier ruled out the idea of using military force to take over the world's largest island, said that Greenland plays an integral key role in U.S. national security and would be key to his proposed space-based Golden Dome missile defense system.
No Compromise with Greenland
"Everything comes over Greenland. If the bad guys start shooting, it comes over Greenland," Trump told host Maria Bartiromo. "It's pretty invaluable. It's amazing." The president has openly talked for years about bringing Greenland under U.S. control.
However, in recent weeks, he has stepped up his rhetoric toward Denmark — which currently governs the island — and other European nations.
Earlier this month, Trump warned he could slap 10% tariffs on eight European countries beginning February 1, voicing frustration over their decision to send troops to Greenland, a move he appeared to view as a direct challenge to Washington.
However, on Wednesday, after meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, the president backed away from the tariff threat and said the outline of a deal had been agreed to.
While the framework's details remain unclear, reports suggest the U.S. would gain greater authority over land that houses American military bases, along with commitments from European partners to strengthen security across the Arctic region.
Everything Still Unclear
When asked whether the framework could eventually lead to the U.S. acquiring Greenland, Trump was noncommittal, saying he couldn't say for sure — but he didn't rule it out either. "I don't know if I can say that. But it could be. It's possible. Anything is possible."
Several European officials have said that the framework agreement does not change Greenland's status and that Denmark remains firmly in control of the island.
Trump, however, also issued a warning to Denmark, saying there could be consequences if the country's pension fund decides to dump its holdings of U.S. Treasury bonds amid the ongoing dispute over Greenland.
"If that happened," he warned, "there'd be big retaliation on our part, and we have all the cards," Trump added.
