In a dramatic speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, US President Donald Trump has reiterated his demand to acquire Greenland, but insisted that the United States would not use force to seize the “big, beautiful piece of ice.”
Addressing thousands of business and political leaders, Trump said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States.” However, he emphasised, “I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the US is asking for is a place called Greenland.”
Referring to the US’s role in the Second World War, Trump claimed that without American intervention, the audience would now be “speaking German, or a little Japanese perhaps.” He argued that Denmark had been “overrun by Germany after just six hours of fighting,” prompting the US to intervene “at great cost and expense.”
Trump insisted that the US is the only country capable of defending the “enormous, unsecured island” of Greenland, stating, “You need the ownership to defend it. You can’t defend it on a lease. Who the hell wants to defend a licence agreement, or a lease?”
However, the President’s speech was not without its contradictions. At several points, he appeared to confuse Greenland with Iceland, claiming that “Iceland” had caused a drop in stock prices on Tuesday, when the market decline was actually a result of his threat to impose new tariffs on eight European countries.
Addressing the issue of NATO, Trump praised the alliance’s “excellent secretary general” and greeted Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the audience. But he also repeatedly argued that the US has been getting a “raw deal” from NATO, funding the protection of other European countries while not receiving enough in return.
In a wide-ranging and often rambling speech, Trump also claimed to have delivered a historic economic upturn at home, rejecting the idea of what he called the “new green scam” of transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy. He reeled off a list of what he said were US economic achievements, including “virtually no inflation,” falling petrol prices, and rapid economic growth.
The President’s threat at the weekend to slap punitive tariffs on eight European countries blamed for blocking his claim to Greenland has dominated discussions in Davos this week. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney used his Davos speech on Tuesday to warn mid-sized countries to unite in the face of US “coercion,” stating, “Middle powers must act together, because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.”
In response, Trump took direct aim at Carney, claiming that Canada had had “a lot of freebies” from the US. “Canada lives because of the US: remember that, Mark, next time you make your statements,” the President said.
Overall, Trump’s Davos speech was a mix of boasts, threats, and contradictions, as he continued to push his controversial demand for the United States to acquire Greenland.
