Denmark welcomes Trump’s Greenland pivot, opens door to Golden Dome talks
Trump said that he had secured a “framework” agreement on Greenland, which includes access to mineral rights for the United States and its European allies, as well as cooperation on the Golden Dome missile defense system.
- Jan 22, 2026,
- Updated Jan 22, 2026 5:54 PM IST
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on January 22 welcomed US President Donald Trump’s shift in tone on Greenland, saying Denmark is open to discussions with Washington on the proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative, while firmly ruling out any negotiations over sovereignty.
In a statement, Frederiksen said it was “good and natural” that Arctic security was discussed during talks between Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump said that he had secured a “framework” agreement on Greenland, which includes access to mineral rights for the United States and its European allies, as well as cooperation on the Golden Dome missile defense system.
The comments suggest a softening of Trump’s long-held position on Greenland. The US President has previously advocated gaining control of the self-governing Danish territory and had refused to rule out the use of military force to achieve that aim.
Denmark draws a red line on sovereignty
Frederiksen said she spoke with NATO chief Rutte both before and after his meeting with Trump, adding that the alliance was “fully aware” of Denmark’s position.
“We can negotiate on everything political; security, investments, economy. But we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty,” Frederiksen said. “I have been informed that this has not been the case either.”
She added that Denmark remains willing to engage constructively with allies on strengthening Arctic security, including discussions around the Golden Dome, provided Denmark’s territorial integrity is respected.
Golden Dome plan & mineral access
Rolled out in May last year, Trump’s Golden Dome project is a multibillion-dollar missile defense initiative designed to protect the US from all forms of missile attacks. The system has frequently been compared to Israel’s Iron Dome, though on a significantly larger and more ambitious scale.
“They’re going to be involved in the Golden Dome, and they’re going to be involved in mineral rights, and so are we,” Trump told CNBC in an interview on January 21.
Earlier, Trump said he would no longer proceed with proposed tariffs on eight European countries that had opposed his earlier plans to acquire Greenland.
The US President had threatened to impose tariffs of 10% on goods from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK starting February 1, with rates set to rise to 25% from June 1.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on January 22 welcomed US President Donald Trump’s shift in tone on Greenland, saying Denmark is open to discussions with Washington on the proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative, while firmly ruling out any negotiations over sovereignty.
In a statement, Frederiksen said it was “good and natural” that Arctic security was discussed during talks between Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump said that he had secured a “framework” agreement on Greenland, which includes access to mineral rights for the United States and its European allies, as well as cooperation on the Golden Dome missile defense system.
The comments suggest a softening of Trump’s long-held position on Greenland. The US President has previously advocated gaining control of the self-governing Danish territory and had refused to rule out the use of military force to achieve that aim.
Denmark draws a red line on sovereignty
Frederiksen said she spoke with NATO chief Rutte both before and after his meeting with Trump, adding that the alliance was “fully aware” of Denmark’s position.
“We can negotiate on everything political; security, investments, economy. But we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty,” Frederiksen said. “I have been informed that this has not been the case either.”
She added that Denmark remains willing to engage constructively with allies on strengthening Arctic security, including discussions around the Golden Dome, provided Denmark’s territorial integrity is respected.
Golden Dome plan & mineral access
Rolled out in May last year, Trump’s Golden Dome project is a multibillion-dollar missile defense initiative designed to protect the US from all forms of missile attacks. The system has frequently been compared to Israel’s Iron Dome, though on a significantly larger and more ambitious scale.
“They’re going to be involved in the Golden Dome, and they’re going to be involved in mineral rights, and so are we,” Trump told CNBC in an interview on January 21.
Earlier, Trump said he would no longer proceed with proposed tariffs on eight European countries that had opposed his earlier plans to acquire Greenland.
The US President had threatened to impose tariffs of 10% on goods from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK starting February 1, with rates set to rise to 25% from June 1.