US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that talks over Greenland had begun and were close to an agreement, describing the talks as critical to US national security.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media aboard Air Force One in Florida, U.S., Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (White House)Asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One whether there were updates on the Greenland talks and communications with European leaders, Trump said the process was already underway.
“We started a discussion, and I think it’s pretty well agreed upon. I mean, they want us to do it,” Trump said.
“I think it’s going to be a good deal for everybody, a very important deal actually, from a national security standpoint, a very, very important deal. I think we’re going to get a deal there.”
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What happened?Trump did not specify whether he had recently spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer or other European leaders.
According to Politico, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said earlier Thursday that preliminary talks between Denmark, the United States and Greenland over the future of the Arctic island “went well,” although the dispute remains unresolved.
Politico reported that Rasmussen and Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeld met with US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on January 14, where the two sides agreed to establish a “working group” to discuss Greenland and Arctic security amid Trump’s claim to annex the self-governing Danish territory.
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“There was a huge derailment after that,” Politico quoted Rasmussen as saying, referring to Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on several European countries if they did not agree to hand over Greenland, a threat he later backed off after saying he had reached a “framework” toward an agreement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the details of which were not disclosed.
“Things escalated, but now we are back on track,” Rasmussen told reporters at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, adding that the first meeting of the working group “went well and in a constructive atmosphere and tone.”
Politico said Rasmussen cautioned that the dispute had not been resolved and that more talks were planned, though he said he was “a little more optimistic” than a week ago.
Trump’s earlier threat to seize Greenland unsettled European capitals and inflamed transatlantic ties, calling for greater unity and independence within the European Union on security issues. France and Germany urged the EU to consider deploying their anti-coercion instruments before Trump pulls back from starting a trade war.
According to Politico, Rasmussen credited Trump’s decision to waive tariffs on Greenland as a strong show of European solidarity.
“It became clear that the price was too high to go down that path,” he said.
On January 21, 2026, on Day 3 of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, Trump’s speech also included an explanation of US intentions regarding Greenland’s sovereignty.
He said the United States would not use military force to acquire territory, softening earlier statements.
He also reversed a proposed 10 percent tariff on European allies aimed at pressuring Denmark over Greenland’s status, saying he had reached a “framework of an agreement” on mineral and security rights with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. (ANI)
