FLASH
Shkruar nga PamfletiDonald Trump's announcement of a "framework agreement" for Greenland was met with strong skepticism on the autonomous island, part of Denmark, which the US president has made clear he wants.
Hours after his aggressive speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday afternoon, the US president showed a spark of calm in his confrontation with Europe over the Greenland issue.
In a post on the Truth Social platform, Donald Trump announced that he was withdrawing the threat of imposing tariffs on European countries, citing the achievement of a "framework for a future agreement" for the autonomous territory of Denmark, following his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
"This solution, if achieved, will be excellent for the United States of America and for all NATO countries. Based on this understanding, I will not impose the tariffs that were planned," the American president wrote in his post, while previously stating in his speech that he (ultimately) does not intend to use military force to acquire Greenland.
In an interview with CNBC shortly afterward, Trump said that "we have the (general) idea of a deal."
Although he did not mention specific terms, he said the emerging agreement could include cooperation between the United States and its European allies in the development of the Golden Dome anti-missile shield and in mineral mining in Greenland.
Along with Greenland's strategic location, the United States has repeatedly cited the island's vast and largely untapped reserves of rare earth metals, many of which are critical to technologies such as cell phones and electric vehicles.
He said the talks were about broader cooperation in the Arctic, with a focus on Greenland, and were mainly related to security issues.
The US president avoided giving details about the content of the agreement, noting that it is a "fairly complex" framework that will be presented in detail at a later stage. He stressed that it is a long-term agreement, saying that it "will be in effect forever."
Reactions from Denmark and Trump's harsh criticism
During the questioning, a reporter relayed to Trump the position of the Danish Foreign Minister, who has reportedly dismissed any discussion of the US buying Greenland. The US president responded that he does not like to be informed "second-hand" and that, if there is a dispute, he would prefer to be told directly.
Asked when he would discuss the issue with Denmark, Trump said he would speak with Mark Rutte, adding meaningfully: "He, frankly, is more important."
Distrust in Greenland over the agreement statement
Donald Trump's announcement of a "framework agreement" for Greenland was met with strong skepticism on the autonomous island, part of Denmark, which the US president has made clear he wants.
Greenlanders who spoke to AFP in Nuuk, the capital, appeared to maintain their reservations when they heard the news, or said they did not believe the Republican billionaire.
It's "just a lie. He's lying," said Mikkel Nielsen, a 47-year-old craftsman. "I don't believe anything he says - and I think I'm not the only one," he insisted.
In the Swiss ski resort of Davos, which hosts the World Economic Forum, Mr. Trump assured, without going into details, that he had agreed on the framework of a future agreement for Greenland during his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Mr. Rutte
had a "very productive discussion" with the US president, a spokeswoman for the head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said.
"Who, Trump? I don't believe it," was the reaction of Anak, a 64-year-old nursing assistant.
"Greenland is the land of Greenlanders. You can't understand it like that, for any reason. Certainly not if you're Trump," she added.
Mickey, who asked not to be identified, had a similar reaction.
"He says one thing and, two minutes later, he says the opposite. It's hard to believe," the 31-year-old explained.
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