"The NATO secretary-general appears to have been instrumental in persuading Trump to scrap the threat of slapping punitive tariffs on eight European nations to press for U.S. control over Greenland - a stunning reversal shortly after insisting he wanted to get the island "including right, title and ownership." In a post on his social media site, Trump said he had agreed with Rutte on a "framework of a future deal" on Arctic security at the World Economic Forum in Davos,"
"Rutte's reputation for successfully charming the U.S. president took flight last year when he referred to Donald Trump as "daddy" during an alliance summit in The Hague and sent him a flattering text message. Matthew Kroenig, vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, said the dramatic scenes in Davos underscored Rutte's ability to keep NATO's most powerful leader on board."
U.S. President Donald Trump insisted on acquiring Greenland, at one point seeking "including right, title and ownership," and threatened punitive tariffs and force to press the claim. He later dropped the explicit threat of force in Davos but tensions persisted. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte intervened and appears to have persuaded Trump to abandon tariff threats and to agree on a "framework of a future deal" on Arctic security, according to Trump's social media post. Details of the framework remain unknown. Rutte's conciliatory style toward Trump, including public flattery and informal familiarity, has reinforced his reputation as an effective diplomat and consensus-builder within NATO.
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