There was plenty of saber-rattling — and plenty of panic.
The usual chorus of “Panicans” rushed to warn that NATO was about to collapse, Europe was about to revolt, and the world was about to end because President Trump dared to pursue leverage over Greenland. The European Union promptly froze a major trade deal and threw a tantrum after Trump made clear that tariffs were on the table if the United States wasn’t taken seriously about strategic territory.
For days, Davos buzzed with hand-wringing about whether Trump was about to redraw the map with force.
And then — reality.
Trump calmly made it clear that military force would not be used to take Greenland. But in classic Trump fashion, he also reminded everyone in the room of a simple fact: the United States easily could if it had to. Message delivered.
What happened next tells you everything.
Almost immediately, reports surfaced of a new framework for a deal between the United States and NATO. And just like that, the tariff threats began to recede. Not because Trump folded — but because the alliance finally started negotiating seriously.
This is what leadership looks like:
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. This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations. Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st. Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland. Further information will be made available as discussions progress. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and various others, as needed, will be responsible for the negotiations — They will report directly to me. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
So – ‘Art of the Deal’ time? Let’s peek at the details first and we’ll circle back to this.