Trump surprised in Davos – The threat of customs retreated in an instant

The trade war has been canceled and an agreement will be reached on Greenland that will benefit the United States and NATO. This is how you can summarize the twists and turns of Wednesday evening in Davos.

President of the United States Donald Trump made three significant announcements from the European angle at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

First, he assured in his speechthat the United States is not going to use military force to take over Greenland.

Second, he announced Truth Social –on his channelthat the additional tariffs planned for eight European countries will not come into force.

Third, he told CNBC in the interviewthat a preliminary agreement has been reached on Greenland, which includes mineral rights and the arctic island’s participation in the Golden Dome missile defense system.

Trump told about the removal of the tariff threat and the framework agreement after discussing the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutten with. Trump admitted that he has not discussed a possible agreement directly with the Danes. He said he believes that Rutte has updated the Danish leaders on the situation.

According to a NATO spokesman, the negotiations between Denmark, Greenland and the United States aim to ensure that Russia and China never gain an economic or military foothold in Greenland.

Such negotiations could probably have been started without Trump threatening to take over Greenland for the United States, for better or for worse. Trump, on the other hand, threatened to punish Europeans with additional tariffs if they do not comply with the demands.

The obsession with Greenland and the related threats have not only angered the Danes and Greenlanders, but also many other Europeans. The US’s negotiations with Greenland and Denmark are unlikely to start on a very warm note.

In Trump’s world, this is not a problem, because the end sanctifies the means. Even earlier, Trump’s bullying has made the European NATO countries bend and promise additional investments in defense.

Additional investments are not a bad thing, on the contrary.

Even more needs to be done in Europe in order to reduce security-related dependence on the United States. The Greenland episode is just the latest reminder of this.

The next reminder can come today, tomorrow, next week or in a month.