Donald Trump has escalated his demand to annex Greenland, telling business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the United States needs ownership of the territory to defend it. In a rambling speech, the US president said he would not use military force to seize Greenland but warned that if Denmark refused to sell, 'we will remember.'
Trump's remarks drew a cool response from Denmark's foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who said it was 'positive' that Trump ruled out an invasion but that the challenge remained. Norway's former Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, called Trump's statement an 'important message' after fears he might threaten force.
Later, Trump announced a U-turn on plans to impose tariffs on eight European countries, including Denmark, Norway, and the UK, scheduled for 1 February. He said talks with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte had produced a 'framework of a future deal' on Greenland and the Arctic region, which would include a US missile defence shield based partly in Greenland.
Trump did not provide details of the agreement, but claimed it was 'really fantastic for the USA' and would be in force 'forever'. Rutte declined to comment, and it was unclear if Greenlandic or Danish leaders were involved. Rasmussen said he hoped the talks would respect the Greenlandic people.
During his speech, Trump criticised Denmark for ceding Greenland after World War II, saying 'without us, now you’d all be speaking German'. He insisted only the US could defend the 'unsecured island' due to its strategic position between the US, Russia, and China.
