The US President said that he would not use force to seize Greenland, during his speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump said: “I do not need to use force, I do not want to use force, and I will not use force” to seize Greenland.
He added: “I intended to exclude it (Greenland) from the speech, but I think I would have been subjected to a very negative review,” stressing that he had “great respect” for the people of Greenland and Denmark.
Trump told world leaders that Greenland had a choice: “You can say yes and we will be very grateful” or “You can say no and we will not forget it.”
Trump described Greenland as “vast, almost uninhabited, undeveloped, and undefended,” explaining that American presidents had sought to buy the island for nearly two centuries.
“There is no such thing as rare earth materials in Greenland,” he said. “What matters is strategic national security and international security.”
The American President confirmed that he seeks “immediate negotiations to acquire Greenland,” considering that “the United States alone is capable of protecting this huge piece of ice,” adding during his speech: “A strong and secure America means a strong NATO alliance.”
Trump rejected suggestions that acquiring Greenland would constitute a blow to NATO.
Trump believed that the United States was being treated “unfairly” by NATO, adding: “We give a lot and get very little in return,” and that Europe and NATO “do not appreciate” what the United States is doing.
The Danish army announced that it continues to deploy forces in Greenland, and the Danish Arctic Command said on Facebook on Wednesday: “For the first time, specialists belonging to the elite special forces unit of the Danish army have deployed in the most rugged terrain in Greenland, on the coast of Bloesville.”
She explained that the goal of this deployment is to “strengthen the presence in the Arctic.”
In parallel, the Danish “DR” channel reported that the Danish frigate “Peter Willems” joined Danish exercises involving military personnel from various European countries, which began last week in Greenland.
Donald Trump delivers a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland ” loading=”lazy” width=”4154″ height=”2769″ style=”aspect-ratio:4154 / 2769″ class=”css-1seqhu9″/>
image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images
Regarding the war in Ukraine, the US President said that NATO would help stop the war in Ukraine, and added: “This war must be stopped because many people are dying, and they are dying unnecessarily,” adding that Putin and Zelensky want to reach an agreement.
According to Trump, NATO and Europe should “take care of” Ukraine, not the United States.
Trump told the economic and political elites gathered in Davos: “What does the United States gain from all this work, from all this money, except death and destruction and huge sums of money going to people who do not appreciate what we do? They do not appreciate what we do. I am talking about NATO, I am talking about Europe. They should take care of Ukraine, not us. The United States is very far away, there is a large ocean that separates us. We have nothing to do with all of that.”
Trump also announced that he would meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Davos. After he reported that the meeting would take place on Wednesday, he responded to a journalist who asked him to specify the date of the meeting, saying, “I think the meeting will take place tomorrow,” Thursday.
The Ukrainian presidency reported that Zelensky is “in Kyiv” and not in Switzerland.
On Tuesday, Zelensky expressed his “concern” that the international community’s interest in the conflict in Ukraine would decline due to the dispute caused by Trump by announcing his intention to annex Greenland. He recalled that his country is facing a “large-scale war.”
Trump stressed that he would help Europe and NATO in this, and that all he was asking for was “a piece of ice,” in an apparent reference to Greenland.
He said the United States would be there 100 percent to support NATO, but he was unsure whether the allies would return the favor.
At the beginning of his speech, Trump considered that Europe was “not moving in the right direction,” adding that the United States was the “engine” of the global economy, saying: “When America prospers, the world prospers (…) and when its conditions worsen, everyone’s conditions worsen.”
After rising to a podium to deliver his speech, he said, amid warm applause from the audience, that he was addressing business leaders, friends, and “some opponents.”
Trump had arrived at the resort of Davos in Switzerland, where he participated on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting with European leaders, overshadowed by his announcement of his desire to acquire the Danish island.
Trump arrived late this afternoon in Davos in the Swiss Alps, after the US presidential plane (Air Force One), which was carrying him, was forced to turn back due to a “minor electrical fault.”
A senior White House official told reporters on Air Force One that Trump’s speech in Davos today is expected to have an “America First” character, and will also touch on the issues of Venezuela, Greenland, and the American economy, according to the official.
In Davos, the President will hold bilateral meetings with European leaders.
On Thursday, Trump will highlight the “peace council” proposed by the United States in Gaza.
Before heading to Davos, Trump said that the United States and NATO would reach an agreement on Greenland’s future that “satisfies both parties.”
Trump said during a press conference held on Tuesday that the United States has “several meetings scheduled regarding Greenland” during the annual conference of the Economic Forum in Switzerland.
When asked about his willingness to move forward with annexing the island, he replied: “You will find out for yourselves.”
US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on eight US allies who oppose his demands to control Greenland.
He said he intends to impose 10% tariffs on “any and all goods” coming from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, if these countries oppose his proposal to acquire Greenland.
Trump added that these fees will go into effect on February 1, and will rise to 25% by June 1.
Retaliatory charges “not excluded”
image source, UK PARLIAMENT
On the other hand, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said during his speech before the House of Commons: “I will not, and Britain will not, give up its principles and values regarding the future of Greenland under the weight of threats of customs duties.”
Starmer explained that Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on countries that oppose him are “completely false,” noting that the Danish Prime Minister will visit the United Kingdom tomorrow to hold bilateral talks.
British Treasury Secretary Rachel Reeves also said that “ruling out any option is out of the question” with regard to taking retaliatory customs measures. Speaking to the BBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, she said that the United Kingdom “will not be subject to fluctuations and pressures,” and that it will act in the national interest when dealing with the United States in the trade file, which means “reducing trade barriers with countries around the world.”
While French President Emmanuel Macron said that the European Union may consider options for response, Reeves indicated that she received assurances from the US Secretary of Commerce that “the trade agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom will remain in place.”
On the other hand, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besent said that the United Kingdom is “let us down” by “handing over sovereignty” over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, and called on the Europeans to avoid any “angry” reaction and sit with Trump in Davos to listen to his arguments regarding the annexation of Greenland.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said, “The main issue now is not Greenland but Ukraine.”
During his participation in a panel discussion at the Davos Forum, Rutte expressed “a little concern,” saying: “We may neglect this file because of our intense focus on other issues.”
Rutte added that progress in peace talks and a new agreed €90 billion loan for Ukraine from the European Commission should not give European NATO members the idea that they can “forget about defending Ukraine.”
