Trump steps up demand to annex Greenland but rules out using force | Davos

Donald Trump stepped up his demand to annex Greenland in his extraordinary speech in Davos, but said the US would not use force to seize what he called a “big, beautiful piece of ice”.

Addressing thousands of businessmen and political leaders at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort, the US president said he was “seeking urgent negotiations to once again discuss the US acquisition of Greenland.”

“I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. The only thing the United States wants is a place called Greenland,” he said. “You can say yes and we will be very grateful. Or you can say no and we will remember.”

Citing the United States’ record in the Second World War as justification for his request, Trump told a worldwide audience: “If it weren’t for us, you’d all be speaking German now or maybe a little Japanese.”

He said Denmark was invaded by Germany “after just six hours of fighting”, prompting the US to intervene “at great cost and expense”. He insisted that only the United States was now fit to defend “this enormous, insecure island.”

Trump said: “You need property to defend it. You can’t defend it with a lease. Who wants to defend a license agreement or a lease?”

At several points, Trump appeared to confuse Greenland with Iceland, claiming that “Iceland” caused a drop in stock prices on Tuesday, when markets fell as a result of his threat to impose new tariffs on eight European countries.

Greenland said that the transfer of Greenland to the USA would not pose a threat to NATO, praised the “excellent secretary general” and greeted Mark Rutte in the audience.

But Trump has repeatedly returned to his claim that the United States made an unfair deal with NATO that financed the protection of other European countries. “We give so much and get so little in return.”

Although the United States is ready to defend its NATO allies, he suggested that this support may not be returned. “We’re 100% there for NATO. I’m not sure they’ll be there for us.” Mutual defense is the founding principle of the transatlantic alliance.

In a rambling speech, the president also claimed to have achieved a historic economic recovery at home and dismissed the idea of ​​switching from fossil fuels to clean energy, which he called the “new green scam.”

“I want Europe to be great, I want England to be great; they’re sitting on one of the world’s greatest sources of energy and they’re not using it,” he said. “There are windmills all over Europe, there are windmills everywhere and they are the losers.”

He has compiled a list of what he says are U.S. economic achievements in the first 12 months of his second term. These included what he called “nearly zero inflation,” falling oil prices, and rapid economic growth.

The president said that under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, “we were a dead country. Now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world.”

Trump arrived late in Switzerland on Wednesday after an electrical fault on Air Force One forced him to change planes, but he cleared his diary to address the high-powered meeting in time.

The president’s threat over the weekend to impose punitive tariffs on eight European countries accused of blocking his claim to Greenland dominated discussions in Davos this week.

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney used his Davos speech on Tuesday to warn midsize countries to unite in the face of “pressure” from the United States. “The middle powers need to act together, because if we are not at the table, we will be on the menu,” he said.

Trump took direct aim at Carney in his speech, claiming Canada was getting “a lot of freebies” from the United States. “Canada lives because of the USA: remember that next time you make a statement, Mark.”

Carney was just one of a number of targets in the conversation, which lasted more than an hour. They included Switzerland, French president Emmanuel Macron, outgoing Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell and Somali-born congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

In response, Trump said he “had a very good relationship.” [Russia’s] Minister [Vladimir] Putin and President Xi [Jinping of China].”