Trump Pushes for Greenland Deal at Davos, Rejects Use of Military Power

Darwin, 23 January:

US President Donald Trump has said that the United States wants to acquire Greenland through negotiations and will not use military force to achieve the goal.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Trump called for immediate discussions on acquiring Greenland, the autonomous territory of Denmark, according to the BBC.

During a speech lasting more than an hour before world leaders on Wednesday, Trump said the United States has been trying to purchase Greenland for nearly two centuries. Claiming that Denmark has no effective presence on the island, he described Greenland as “essentially part of North America.”

“The United States is the only country capable of protecting this vast land and ice,” Trump said. He added, “We probably wouldn’t get anything unless I decided to use extra force. In that case, we could be unstoppable. But I won’t do that. I don’t want to use military force.” He stressed that acquiring Greenland remains Washington’s primary objective.

Trump’s remarks have drawn strong opposition from European leaders. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer took a firm stance in the UK House of Commons, stating that he would not “bow his head” to pressure from the US president over Greenland. Starmer reiterated that decisions regarding Greenland’s future rest solely with its people and the Danish government.

Trump has reportedly threatened to impose a 10 percent tariff on imports from the UK and seven other European countries for opposing his Greenland ambitions. The tariffs could take effect from February 1 and may later be increased to as much as 25 percent.

Calling the tariff threat “completely wrong,” Starmer warned that “trade wars serve no one’s interests.”

Analysts say the Greenland issue, along with tensions over the British-controlled Chagos Archipelago, has triggered an unprecedented diplomatic strain between the United States and Europe. Trump has repeatedly claimed that Greenland is “vital” to US national security, while the European Union and NATO allies have criticized his approach as “coercive.”