In a dramatic turn of events, US President Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on NATO and Europe, doubling down on his demands to acquire the Danish territory of Greenland. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump claimed the US has “never gotten anything” from being part of the NATO alliance, arguing that a US takeover of Greenland is “a very small ask” compared to what the US has done for its fellow members.
Trump’s remarks come just hours after he announced that a “framework of a future deal” on the Arctic region had been reached with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The US President suggested he had reconsidered his previous threats to impose tariffs on eight NATO countries, including the UK, as a result of their opposition to his ambitions for the mineral-rich territory.
However, Trump’s tone was far from conciliatory, as he continued to lash out at Europe, claiming the continent is “unrecognisable” due to immigration and echoing a common trope of the European and American far-right. He warned that “bad things will happen to them” if Europe does not change its course on immigration and energy policy.
The increasingly volatile US leader also made a bizarre comment about being called “daddy” by a “very smart man” in relation to his plans for Greenland, which he referred to as “a piece of ice, cold and poorly located.”
Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the UK’s Labour Party, has responded forcefully to Trump’s threats, vowing that Britain “will not yield” on its principles and values regarding the future of Greenland. Starmer also criticised the US President’s comments on the UK’s deal to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, saying they were made “expressly to put pressure” on him over Greenland.
The ongoing tensions between the US and its European allies over Greenland have raised concerns about a potential diplomatic crisis within the NATO alliance. As the framework of a future deal is being negotiated, the world will be watching closely to see how this complex situation unfolds.
