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Breaking news. Trump suspends European tariffs after 'framework' Greenland deal agreed

US President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, 21 January 2026
US President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, 21 January 2026 Copyright  AP Photo
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By Aleksandar Brezar
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The announcement came hours after Trump's Davos speech, where repeated the US needed Greenland for national and global security, and said NATO members they could agree to US control and "we'll be very appreciative."

US President Donald Trump announced late Wednesday he would not impose tariffs on eight European nations scheduled to take effect on 1 February, citing progress in talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Greenland in Davos.

Trump said the two leaders reached "the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland" during what he described as productive discussions, and declared the potential agreement would benefit the US and all NATO members.

"Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on 1 February," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The tariffs, announced days before the World Economic Forum, were set to start at 10% on goods from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and an eighth country, with rates climbing to 25% by June.

Trump had demanded the levies remain until European nations supported US acquisition of Greenland from Denmark.

Trump said US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and other officials would handle negotiations, reporting directly to him.

The announcement came hours after Trump's Davos speech, where repeated the US needed Greenland for national and global security, and said NATO members they could agree to US control and "we'll be very appreciative."

Trump also excluded the possibility of the US using force to take control of the Arctic island.

Rutte had urged "thoughtful diplomacy" during his own Davos remarks Wednesday, acknowledging tensions within the alliance whilst expressing commitment to finding solutions on Greenland.

Trump had earlier this week published a private message from Rutte pledging to work toward a resolution.

The tariff threats had triggered emergency EU meetings scheduled for Thursday and discussions of retaliatory measures. French President Emmanuel Macron had advocated activating the EU's anti-coercion instrument, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned the bloc's response would be "unflinching, united and proportional."

Trump's Greenland campaign has opened the deepest rift between Washington and its European allies in decades.

Additional sources • AFP

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