What Does Trump Gain from the NATO Greenland Agreement? A Comprehensive Overview

Original article: «EE.UU. consigue todo lo que quería»: ¿Qué gana Trump con el acuerdo sobre Groenlandia que negocia con la OTAN?

The Republican magnate revealed the «macro» agreement he reached with NATO regarding Greenland and the Arctic region, describing it as a «long-term» pact with «no time limits». Additionally, he emphasized that «there’s money involved».

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he has achieved a «framework» for a definitive agreement with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) concerning Greenland, which he claims gives his country «everything it wanted».

Far from his controversial proposal to purchase the island, the current pact focuses on military, intelligence, and economic strategic concessions that strengthen U.S. presence in the Arctic while containing global rivals.

The announcement followed a «very productive» meeting between Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. As an immediate gesture, the Republican magnate lifted the threat of a 10% tariff on European countries set to take effect on February 1.

Terms of the Agreement: Military Bases, Rare Earth Elements, and the Fight Against China and Russia

According to reports confirmed by outlets like The Telegraph and Axios, as well as NATO itself, the agreement does not involve the sale of the Arctic island, which has been an autonomous territory under Danish sovereignty since the 18th century. Instead, it establishes a framework allowing the U.S. to exert sovereign control over military bases in specific parts of Greenland, akin to the status of British sovereign bases in Cyprus, where the UK maintains full jurisdiction over its installations.

This control would grant Washington complete autonomy to conduct military operations, intelligence activities, and exercises from territory designated as American.

AFP reported that Washington and Copenhagen will renegotiate the defense agreement of 1951 concerning Greenland.

The second negotiation point, according to Axios, involves establishing assets for the future ballistic missile defense system, known as the «Golden Dome.» Since taking office, Trump has expressed his desire to construct a large dome that protects all U.S. territory from China and Russia, which experts suggest would consist of a network of satellites and ground systems to detect, track, and intercept enemy projectiles.

Furthermore, the pact includes a crucial pillar for the technology and defense industry, as it allows the U.S. to extract rare earth elements from Greenland’s subsurface without requiring permission.

The island is rich in natural resources, particularly iron, graphite, tungsten, zinc, gold, uranium, copper, and oil. However, Washington’s most attractive resources are rare earth elements, essential for the manufacture of consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and advanced weaponry systems, in which China currently dominates the global market.

In an interview with Fox News, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described his meeting with Donald Trump at the Davos Economic Forum as «very positive.» However, he emphasized that there is still work ahead and that the details of the framework announced by the U.S. president continue to be negotiated:

Meanwhile, Rutte’s spokesperson, Allison Hart, confirmed the strategic orientation of the meeting and noted that NATO’s efforts will focus on strengthening Arctic security, with particular attention to the seven allies in the region: Canada, Denmark, the United States, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

She also highlighted that discussions between Denmark, Greenland, and the United States will continue to ensure that neither Russia nor China gains an economic or military foothold on the Arctic island.

Trump: «The U.S. Gets Everything It Wanted»

From Davos, Trump expressed enthusiasm about the future of negotiations with NATO and asserted that the U.S. has achieved «everything it wanted» in the agreement regarding Greenland and the Arctic region.

«It’s a long-term agreement. It’s the definitive long-term agreement. I believe it places everyone in a very good position, especially regarding security and the minerals found in the U.S.,» he stated.

When asked by reporters if the agreement included ownership of the island, he avoided a direct answer but emphasized its scope and value.

«It’s an agreement that people enthusiastically accepted. Really fantastic for the U.S. It achieves everything we wanted, particularly regarding national and international security,» he stressed, according to statements collected by RT.

«It’s a long-term agreement. It’s the definitive long-term agreement. I believe it places everyone in a good position, especially concerning security and the minerals found in the U.S.,» he reiterated, noting that «there’s money involved».

Regarding the diplomatic process with Denmark, Trump downplayed its significance and made it clear that «there’s no time for that,» trusting that Rutte represented Copenhagen’s interests adequately.

«I suppose so. Rutte represents them very well. I assume he has been speaking to everyone,» he noted.

«Golden Dome»: One of the Reasons Trump Covets Greenland

The agreement, according to Axios, also includes an overall increase in security for Danish territory and heightened NATO activity in the Arctic region. A high-profile technical element included in the discussions is the potential deployment of the missile defense system «Golden Dome» in Greenland.

Since taking office, the Republican has expressed his desire to construct a large dome that would protect all U.S. territory from China and Russia, a platform that experts suggest would consist of a network of satellites and ground systems to detect, track, and intercept enemy projectiles.

Trump previously stated that the island was «indispensable» for this system and for the «national security» of the United States.

Hours before the meeting in Davos, the far-right leader emphasized the urgency for action, demanding that «immediate negotiations» commence on Greenland, asserting that a greater U.S. presence would «not be a threat to NATO.»

Earlier in his address at the forum, he justified his interest by describing Greenland as a «chunk of ice, very cold and poorly located, that can play a vital role in world peace and global protection».