Donald Trump’s climbdown, after days of escalation during which he had refused to rule out a military attack to annex Greenland, was spectacular. In his Davos speech, Trump repeated his desire to own Greenland, claiming that you cannot defend what you do not own, only to then announce that he would not conquer the Arctic island by force. Hours later, he claimed that he had reached an unspecified deal on Greenland, and would therefore refrain from imposing additional tariffs on those European countries that had had the audacity to participate in a joint military exercise in Greenland at Denmark’s invitation.

We know neither the details of the framework agreement reached by Trump and the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, nor whether it carries any weight, given the US president’s fickleness. But it appears that the deal, while open to discussing Arctic security, mineral rights and possibly even the sovereignty of US bases, preserves Greenland’s sovereignty within the Kingdom of Denmark. In short, this has been a remarkable U-turn.

There are several possible explanations for this reversal. Discomfort among Republicans and the American public at the prospect of attacking a Nato ally, turbulence in global markets and Rutte’s sycophancy are all possibilities. Domestic pressures in the US may have played a role, but they were not yet strong enough to fully explain the sudden about-face.

Rutte’s servility is certainly appreciated by Trump, but it is unlikely to have dissuaded him from his........

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