During an interview at the World Economic Forum, Donald Trump announced a significant development with NATO allies, granting the US “total access” to Greenland. He also revealed plans for a segment of the US’s ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system to be constructed there. Speaking with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo, Trump emphasized the unrestricted nature of the agreement, stating, “It’s essentially complete access with no expiration.” He further noted, “There won’t be any payment involved. We’ll have full military access, able to deploy necessary resources for national and international security reasons.”

Although still in the early negotiation stages, the specifics of the agreement with NATO are not yet finalized. Reports suggest the US military, which already maintains several installations in the Danish territory, may expand its presence further. On Wednesday, senior NATO military officials met with representatives from the Trump administration to discuss Denmark potentially allowing the US to establish bases on small areas of Greenlandic land. This arrangement, as sources told The New York Times, could mirror the status of UK military bases in Cyprus, which are considered sovereign British territories.

Trump withheld detailed specifics of the agreement but mentioned NATO’s collaboration with the US in developing the Golden Dome missile defense system and sharing mineral rights. He explained to Bartiromo, “If threats arise, they pass over Greenland, so we counter them.” His remarks followed the suspension of substantial tariffs on European nations, part of a broader strategy to secure Greenland. Trump also mentioned ongoing “additional discussions” involving Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who are overseeing the negotiations.

Trump told reporters in Davos that the deal will be ‘put out pretty soon.’ ‘It gets us everything we needed to get,’ he insisted, adding: ‘It’s a deal that everybody’s very happy with.’ The stock market bounced back immediately after crashing on Tuesday over his tariff threats. Futures markets were back in the green on Wednesday morning. Trump on Saturday threatened Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland with a 10 percent tariff starting on February 1 after they sent troops to Greenland.

Since starting his second-term, the president has suggested the US should acquire Greenland to stop Russia and China from taking over strategic positioning in the Artic region. The Danish territory provides strategic access to the Arctic, where China and Russia have, in recent years, flexed their geopolitical might as the melting polar ice provides greater access to shipping lanes and natural resources.

Greenland, which houses NATO military bases, is also rich in oil, gold, graphite, copper, iron, and other rare earth elements. The Trump administration believes Greenland could provide infrastructure for the proposed Golden Dome missile defense system to protect North America from ballistic threats.