Trump ruled out the use of force and suggested a deal was in sight to end a dispute over the Danish territory that risked the deepest rupture in transatlantic relations in decades.

Travelling in Davos, Switzerland, Trump backed down, for now, from weeks of rhetoric that shook the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) alliance and risked a new global trade war. Trump had threatened over the weekend to impose rising tariffs on the US-bound exports of eight European countries.

But after meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the Swiss Alpine resort, Trump said Western Arctic allies could forge a new deal over the strategic island territory of 57 000 people that satisfies his desire for a “Golden Dome” missile‑defence system and access to critical minerals while blocking Russia and China’s ambitions in the Arctic.

“It’s a deal that everybody’s very happy with,” Trump told reporters. “It’s a long-term deal. It’s the ultimate long-term deal. It puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security and to minerals.”
“It’s a deal that’s forever,” he added.

–Reuters–