President Donald Trump was left sputtering for a moment on Wednesday after dramatically backtracking on threats to take over Greenland.
The president was confronted about his announcement that a “framework” had been reached for a future deal regarding the Danish territory.
“Does it still include the United States having ownership of Greenland, like you’ve said you wanted?” asked CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on the sidelines of Davos.
The president paused, then sighed as he tried to figure out how to respond.
“Uhhh, it’s a long-term deal,” Trump said, drawing out the word long. “It’s the ultimate long-term deal, and I think it puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security.”
Trump claimed the deal was being worked on, but he touted it as an “infinite deal.”
The president’s attempts to explain his dramatic backdown over Greenland came after he posted on Truth Social that a “framework” had been reached.
“Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,“ Trump wrote in his post just hours after demanding the U.S. take control of the Danish territory on the world stage.
The president did not go into detail in his post but claimed, “This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations.”
Trump also backtracked on his threat first made over the weekend to impose 10 percent tariffs on eight European countries starting February 1 until the deal can be reached for the U.S. to purchase Greenland.
The president had repeatedly escalated tensions with NATO allies in the days leading up to his appearance at the World Economic Forum, but he was singing a different tune once he sat down with officials in Switzerland.
During his address there on Wednesday, Trump insisted once again that the U.S. needed Greenland for national security and blasted allies for not being more grateful.
However, he was already toning down some of the rhetoric, promising not to use military force.
The president also complained on Wednesday that the U.S. never got anything from NATO and was treated very unfairly, despite the only time NATO’s Article 5 has been invoked being after the attack on the U.S. on 9/11.
Upon meeting directly with world leaders on the sidelines of the event, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the president further backed off his threats to take over Greenland.
Rutte noted in his remarks that soldiers from NATO countries fought alongside the U.S. in Afghanistan during their sitdown, and reassured the president directly that NATO allies would join the U.S. if it were under attack.
When asked by a reporter moments later about the Danish prime minister’s rejection of U.S. demands to negotiate over acquiring Greenland, Trump said he needed to say it to his face. He said he had no idea when negotiations would take place, but would discuss it with Rutte.
The post Trump Sputters When Confronted on Caving Over Greenland appeared first on The Daily Beast.
