Trump's Greenland climbdown: Don't let it fool you, this crisis is far from over for NATO
· Sky NewsDonald Trump's grandstanding on Greenland betrays a disdain for NATO that means this crisis for the alliance is far from over despite his sudden climbdown.
Governments in London, Paris, Berlin, and Copenhagen may well be breathing a sigh of relief that a historic rupture with Washington over the Arctic territory - which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a fellow NATO member - appears to have been averted for now.
Trump's climbdown as it happened
But the ease at which the president felt he could publicly humiliate and bully them in the pursuit of his own interests is surely the loudest wake-up call yet for the UK, European allies and Canada to rebuild their own defences instead of overly relying on the US.
In a head-spinning flip, Trump on Wednesday went from threatening hostile action against those who defied his hopes for an Arctic land grab, to posting a harmonious message on social media about forming "the framework of a future deal" on the territory.
Read more from Sky News:
Key points from Trump's Davos speech
You need javascript enabled to view this content
0:39
Enable javascript to share Share
Trump tells Sky News: Greenland 'deal good for everybody'
The 'Daddy' strategy
The shift followed a meeting with Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, on the sidelines of a major economic forum in Davos.
Rutte, a former prime minister of the Netherlands who knows the American commander in chief well, grabbed headlines last year because of his fawning language when talking to Trump, even referring to him as "daddy" - a label the US leader seemed to like.
However, this strategic sycophancy - despite being cringey - appears to be paying off.
The secretary general kept Trump onside at a NATO summit last June even though the US president has long criticised his allies for freeloading off American security instead of investing sufficient money in their own armed forces - a fair challenge.
Rutte now appears to have helped navigate some kind of compromise on the US presence in Greenland, though he has no legal authority to negotiate the fate of the territory.
You need javascript enabled to view this content
2:24
Enable javascript to share Share
Trump u-turns on tariffs and Greenland
What you need to know in 200 words
An emergency EU leaders summit is set to go ahead today despite Trump's U-turn on Greenland and imposing tariffs.
The US president has claimed everyone is "very happy" after claiming a deal is in the works over the future of the Arctic territory.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, Trump also scrapped a threat to impose tariffs on European allies, including the UK, over their opposition to his proposed takeover following a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump said the framework of a future deal also spanned the "entire Arctic region", adding the "solution" will be great for the US and all NATO countries.
He said he had spoken with other European leaders about it, but nothing had yet been signed and details have not been forthcoming.
Trump also declared the US "won't use force" to take Greenland.
It came after the US president's threats to take Greenland prompted a furious response from leaders on the continent and in London, with Sir Keir Starmer refusing to bow to pressure.
Starmer will host the Danish PM in Downing Street later.
The deal is unclear…
After the Davos meeting, Trump posted on his Truth Social site that he and the NATO boss "have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic region. His solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America and all NATO nations".
He then scrapped a threat to hit the UK and seven other allies with tariffs from next month.
The finer details of the Greenland plan, which may or may not be accepted by Greenlanders and Denmark, is not yet clear.
You need javascript enabled to view this content
3:08
Enable javascript to share Share
Trump on Greenland: 'It's the ultimate long-term deal'
…the damage done is not
What is in no doubt, though, is the damage that this rift has already caused to NATO cohesion, prompting many European nations, even the typically uber-loyal UK, to use increasingly strident language when pushing back against Trump's demands.
Tough words are one thing, but for Britain and the rest of Europe to stand a chance of being able to ensure their collective and national interests are protected, going forward, they will need to stop talking about rebuilding their military capabilities and start urgently acting.
Get Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow our channel and never miss an update.
Rutte's flattering diplomacy will at best be buying a bit more time for these countries to - in Trump's own words - "step up" and defend themselves.
Such a move will not only make NATO stronger to counter external threats, such as from Russia and China.
It will also cushion allies from whenever Trump next decides to turn on them.