1 hour ago
Last Updated:January 22, 2026, 17:17 IST
Denmark asserts only it and Greenland can decide on Greenland's sovereignty, rejecting NATO chief Mark Rutte's negotiation role after Trump's deal announcement at Davos.
NATO chief Mark Rutte with Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen (Mark Rutter/X)
The NATO chief cannot negotiate on behalf of Denmark on Greenland, the Danish government said on Thursday, a day after US President Donald Trump announced a deal on the way following talks with Mark Rutte.
Trump on Wednesday said he had reached a “framework" for a deal over Greenland, stepping back from earlier threats to impose tariffs on European allies and to use force to take control of the Arctic island from Denmark.
Trump announced the development after meeting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, though he offered few details on what the proposed framework would involve.
In a social media post, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Rutte “cannot negotiate an agreement on behalf of Denmark or Greenland".
He, however, emphasised that Rutte had “worked loyally to maintain unity within NATO" and it was “very positive" that the alliance wanted to do more to strengthen Arctic security.
“We have a clear red line," he added. “We will not cede sovereignty over parts of the kingdom."
On Thursday, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish television: “The position of Denmark and that of Greenland are the same, and no negotiations were held yesterday with NATO about our sovereignty."
“Of course it is only Denmark and Greenland themselves that can make decisions on issues concerning Denmark and Greenland," she said earlier in a statement.
AFP quoted a source, who is familiar with the talks between Trump and Rutte, saying that the US US and Denmark will renegotiate a 1951 defence pact on Greenland.
The source further said that having US military bases on Greenland under US sovereignty was not discussed during the talks.
First Published:
January 22, 2026, 17:17 IST
News world NATO Chief Cannot Negotiate For Denmark On Greenland: Defence Minister Poulsen
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