WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump is "very hopeful" that a framework deal on the Danish territory of Greenland will be finalized, the White House said Thursday.

“If this deal goes through, and President Trump is very hopeful it will, the United States will achieve all of his strategic goals with respect to Greenland at little cost," the executive mansion said in a statement. "President Trump is proving once again that he is a dealmaker. As details are finalized, they will be released accordingly."

Details on the agreement have been scarce, but Trump said earlier Thursday that negotiations are ongoing. He maintained that any deal will provide the US with "total access" to the island, and continued to maintain that it will not be constrained by a time limit.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Trump met Wednesday on the sidelines of the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland amid tensions between allies in Europe and the US over Trump's push to acquire Greenland.

Trump announced shortly after the meeting that a framework for a potential deal involving Greenland and the broader Arctic region had been established.

The US president has shown interest in Greenland because of its strategic Arctic location, rich mineral resources and concerns about increasing Russian and Chinese influence in the region.

Denmark and Greenland have rejected proposals to sell the territory, reaffirming Danish sovereignty over the island.

Critics say his drive to acquire Greenland threatens to tear apart the Western alliance, which would be a boon for Russian and Chinese strategic interests. They add that the US could easily defend Greenland from outside threats by using existing treaties allowing numerous US bases and forces on the island.