EU charts new course with US as Trump backs down on tariffs over Greenland

U.S. President Donald Trump said he has secured total and permanent U.S. access to Greenland in a deal with NATO, whose head said allies would have to step up their commitment to Arctic security to ward off threats from Russia and China.

News of a framework deal came as Trump backed off tariff threats against Europe and ruled out taking Greenland by force, bringing a degree of respite in what was brewing to be the biggest rupture in transatlantic ties in decades.

Europe is breathing a sigh of relief following President Trump's dramatic reversal over Greenland, where he scrapped the tariffs he threatened to impose on eight European nations to press for U.S. control over the island, but the U.S. president is still touting victory. He said: "We will have everything we want, we're getting everything we want at no cost.

(Anchor) "So what are we talking about? An acquisition of Greenland? Are you going to pay for it?"

"We're talking about it's really being negotiated now, the details of it, but essentially it's total access. It's there's no end, there's no time limit."

Trump said the deal will also allow the U.S. to install elements of his Golden Dome - a multimillion dollar missile defense system.

"It's a very important part because everything comes over Greenland. If the bad bad guys start shooting, it comes over Greenland. So we know it down. It's pretty infallible, it's amazing. You know Ronald Reagan had the idea a long time ago but we didn't have any technology at that point."

European Union leaders gathered Friday to chart a new course in transatlantic relations as the U.S. president backed down from his threats over Greenland and tariffs.

The President of the European Commission said solidarity and unity in the face of Trump's aggression has brought effective change.

Ursula von der Leyen said: "On Greenland, we are clearly in a better position than we were 24 hours ago. And tonight we drew the lessons of our collective strategy. So what did we do? First of all, there was, as you said, Antonio, unequivocal solidarity with Greenland and Denmark. Second, we also stood firmly with the six member states that were threatened with tariffs. Third point, we engaged very actively with the United States on various levels. We did so in a firm but non-escalatory manner and the fourth point was that we are well prepared with trade countermeasures and non-tariff instruments if tariffs would have been applied."