John Bolton slams Trump’s handling of Greenland proposal: POTUS plays it 'by the seat of his pants’
WASHINGTON, DC: Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has said that President Donald Trump’s recent change of heart regarding Greenland proves he has “no grand strategy” for the island.
The criticism follows the Arctic deal framework Trump announced at the Davos summit. The agreement appears to have de-escalated tensions with European allies after weeks of tough talk.
John Bolton says Trump has no plan
In a Thursday, January 22, newsletter for 'The Washington Post,' Bolton said President Trump's sudden shift from making big “threats” to being nice shows a lack of a clear strategy.
“In one day, we went from what some doomsayers in Europe were saying was the most consequential meeting on the future of the West in recent history to Trump backing off of his two biggest threats,” the former national security adviser said.
He argued that this behavior is a pattern for Trump, adding, “And so I hope the lesson that people learn out of this is Trump plays these things by the seat of his pants. There’s no grand strategy at work here.”
Trump scraps European tariffs post-NATO meeting
For the past month, Trump had been pushing hard to take control of Greenland, caused friction with countries like the UK and Canada.
However, after meeting with NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte in Switzerland on January 21, Trump announced he would no longer use taxes, or tariffs in the European countries.
On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region. This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations.”
Greenlanders push back against Trump
Even though Trump is talking about a "future deal," the leaders of Greenland say they are the only ones who can decide what happens to their land.
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said on Thursday, January 22 that the details of Trump’s plan are still not clear.
He reminded everyone that no outside country can make choices for them without their permission.
During a press meeting, Nielsen said, “Nobody else than Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark have the mandate to make deals or agreements about Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark without us. That’s not going to happen.”
