Record / E-2026-0025
Trump says he will not impose the announced Greenland tariffs after meeting NATO Secretary General Rutte
On January 21, 2026, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said he would not impose the tariffs he had announced on January 17 against eight European countries. He said he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had agreed on a framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and the entire Arctic Region, and said of taking Greenland by force: People thought I would use force. I don't have to use force. I don't want to use force. I won't use force. The tariffs had been scheduled to take effect February 1, 2026, and no implementing instrument was ever issued. The June 1 escalation date also passed without action.
Context
This entry records an announced measure that was not carried out, and it is published with the same prominence as entries recording measures that were. Precision matters on the mechanism: because no executive order, proclamation, or Federal Register document ever implemented the tariffs, nothing was formally rescinded, and the site does not describe them as withdrawn or repealed. Executive Order 14389 is cited as negative evidence: it is the instrument in which a reader would expect to find these tariffs terminated, and it names neither Greenland nor any of the eight countries. Outlets characterized the reversal differently, as scrapped, dropped, or paused. Trump did not renounce the underlying objective, telling reporters he wanted the island including right, title, and ownership, and Greenland's prime minister said he did not know what was in the agreement about his country.
Response on the record
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty and, asked whether sovereignty had been traded, said she had been informed that this has not been the case. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said sovereignty is a red line. NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said Rutte did not propose any compromise to sovereignty during his meeting with President Trump.
Sources
The document identifier is the citation. The URL is a resolution mechanism, and the archived copy is what the citation resolves to when the live link dies.
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Denmark and Greenland say sovereignty is not negotiable after Trump's meeting with Rutte
Associated Press via PBS NewsHour, January 22, 2026
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Trump drops tariff threat, says he will not take Greenland by force, Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera, January 21, 2026
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Executive Order 14389, Ending Certain Tariff Actions
EO 14389; 91 FR 9437; FR Doc. 2026-03832; signed February 20, 2026