President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he would no longer impose tariffs on several European allies that had been scheduled to take effect on February
1, citing what he described as a breakthrough in talks over Greenland. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had reached "the framework of a future deal" with Mark Rutte, following what he called a "very productive meeting". "This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations," Trump wrote. "Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st."
What Trump Said the Deal Would Do
Trump did not provide details of the framework but said further discussions were under way, including talks about what he referred to as "The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland".
"Further information will be made available as discussions progress," he wrote, adding that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and others would lead negotiations and report directly to him.
Notably, Trump did not mention US ownership of Greenland in the post. Until now, he has repeatedly said he wanted the United States to fully control the Arctic territory — an idea firmly opposed by Denmark, which governs the island.
Speaking to CNBC shortly after his social media post, Trump said there was now "the concept of a deal" in place.
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Asked to explain what that meant, he said: "It's a little bit complex but we'll explain down the line." He added that it was "the kind of deal I wanted to make" and said he believed Rutte had been in touch with Denmark and other NATO allies. Trump said the agreement, once finalised, would be permanent.
"The deal will be forever," he said.
However, the President stated that the framework he reached with NATO on Greenland involves access to mineral rights for the US and its European allies as well as collaboration on the Golden Dome. "They're going to be involved in the Golden Dome, and they're going to be involved in mineral rights, and so are we," Trump told CNBC's Joe Kernen in an interview.
When asked how long the deal would last, the president said: "Forever."
How NATO's Mark Rutte Reacted
Rutte publicly endorsed Trump's account of the talks, calling the Truth Social post "exactly to the point". "His Truth Social post is exactly to the point, and I totally agree with that," Rutte told reporters, describing his meeting with the president as "very good".
When pressed for clarification, he declined to elaborate. "Read the Truth Social post," he said. "You will see everything. There will be more conversations."
What This Means for Europe
Trump's announcement appeared to ease pressure on US-European relations at a sensitive moment. Earlier in the day, he had ruled out taking Greenland by force. Now, he has also withdrawn a tariff threat aimed at eight European countries he had accused of obstructing US ambitions in the Arctic.
European leaders are due to meet in Brussels on Thursday for what had been convened as an emergency summit. In recent days, some senior politicians had used their strongest language yet to criticise US policy, with a few comparing Washington's approach to that of Russia when speaking about violations of sovereignty and international law.
Trump's decision to drop the tariffs is expected to remove much of the immediate tension from the meeting. But European leaders are still seeking clarity on what, exactly, the US and NATO have agreed.
What We Still Don't Know
Despite the announcement, major questions remain unanswered.
It is unclear what role the United States would play in Greenland under the proposed framework, how Denmark fits into the arrangement, or how NATO would be involved beyond consultation.
"It's hard to see how such a quick fix has magically fulfilled Trump's express desire to possess Greenland outright," one senior European diplomat said privately.
