Have Trump and Europe reached a deal on Greenland?

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Jan 22, 2026

What does Donald Trump really want from Greenland? The hosts dissect his recent speech at Davos, where he touts defense strategies and tries to win over European leaders. They dive into his abrupt reversal on tariff threats after a meeting with NATO's secretary general. The discussion also covers the implications of Trump's transactional approach for Greenland's residents and NATO relations. Plus, they explore the possibility of U.S. bases as a compromise and how this could reshape alliances in the Arctic.

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INSIGHT

Greenland As A National Security Priority

Donald Trump framed Greenland as vital to US security and argued the US should own it outright rather than lease it.
He insisted ownership is needed to defend Greenland and repeatedly linked it to NATO obligations.

INSIGHT

Ownership Versus Lease Argument

Trump emphasized legal title and ownership as essential to defence rather than leases or licenses.
He argued leases are psychologically and legally indefensible for strategic territory.

INSIGHT

Scripted Case And Grievance Motive

Sarah Smith and Anthony Zurcher noted Trump's speech was unusually scripted and detailed compared with prior off-the-cuff remarks.
They observed he used grievance and resentment about NATO to motivate his demand.

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What exactly is Donald Trump’s plan for Greenland?

Donald Trump began on Wednesday by telling world leaders in more detail why the United States needs to acquire Greenland. He ruled out the use of force and made fresh claims on why Greenland needs to be owned by the United States, deriding European leaders and NATO. But by the end of the day the president announced he no longer plans to impose tariffs on European countries opposing his ambitions for the US to acquire Greenland. In a social media post, Trump said his decision followed a "very productive meeting" with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, while Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in a statement that "the day is ending on a better note than it began."

In this episode, Sarah and Anthony start by unpacking Donald Trump’s speech before reconvening to look at the president’s “concepts” of a deal which was cautiously welcomed by NATO as a focus on the “collective efforts of Allies”.

HOSTS:

• Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

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This episode was made by George Dabby and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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