President Trump on Wednesday said he will not use “force” to annex Greenland but gave European partners an ultimatum: They can take the easy route and hand it over or risk the ire of NATO’s most powerful member.
Mr. Trump said America’s reign over the Denmark-controlled Arctic island will keep Russia and China at bay and repay the U.S. for its efforts to win World War II and serve as the West’s top defender.
“We want a piece of ice for world protection, and they won’t give it,” Mr. Trump told business and government leaders in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “They have a choice: You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative, or you can say no, and we will remember.”
The remarks left it unclear how far he would go to obtain Greenland, though European leaders could sigh a bit as Mr. Trump ruled out force.
“I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland, where we already had it as a trustee,” he said.
His plans to annex Greenland are causing tension with European leaders at the Davos forum, a well-heeled gathering of influential business and government leaders.
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron and others are scrambling to devise a coordinated response, especially as Mr. Trump threatens new tariffs on nations standing in his way.
“I have tremendous respect for both the people of Greenland and the people of Denmark,” Mr. Trump said. “The fact is, no nation or group of nations is in any position to secure Greenland other than the United States.”
He said Denmark couldn’t ward off Nazi Germany’s attack in the 1940s, and he feared that history would repeat itself.
“After just six hours of fighting, it was totally unable to defend itself and Greenland,” Mr. Trump said. “Without us, you’d all be speaking German and a little Japanese, perhaps.”
In summary, he said he’s “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States.”
Mr. Trump made the ultimatum as part of his address that focused on economic progress at home and critiques of Europe’s domestic policies. He received polite applause from the hall, despite the combative nature of his speech.
“Our economy is booming, growth is exploding,” Mr. Trump said at the start of his lengthy speech. “Inflation has been defeated.”
He said the U.S. border is impenetrable and the stock market is hitting record highs.
The president faces pressure back home to further reduce prices for everyday things such as groceries and utilities, though Mr. Trump said sunny days are ahead.
He pointed to higher exports and an increase in domestic oil, natural gas and steel production. And he said foreign nations are flocking to the U.S. to retain access to the rich American market.
“When the United States goes up, you follow,” Mr. Trump said.
He said Europe, meanwhile, is not heading in the right direction. He pointed to unchecked migration and government spending.
The president also criticized European nations for pursuing climate-friendly energy policies. He said windmills and other renewable projects are causing energy costs to soar in what he called, as he always does, “the green new scam.”
“Perhaps the greatest hoax in history,” Mr. Trump said. “You’re supposed to make money with energy, not lose money.”
On Ukraine, he said NATO and European nations need to do more to resolve the nearly four-year conflict.
“The United States is very far away. We have a big, beautiful ocean separating us. We have nothing to do with it,” he said.
And he unleashed several barbed remarks at Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, accusing his country of freeloading off the U.S. and being ungrateful.
“Canada gets a lot of freebies from us,” Mr. Trump said. “By the way, they should be grateful also, but they’re not. I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful. They should be grateful to us.”
On Monday, Mr. Carney delivered a stark speech at the forum, decrying a world order in which powerful nations abandon diplomatic traditions in favor of their own interests. His remarks were a clear reference to Mr. Trump and the U.S., though he never mentioned either by name.
He described this era as a “rupture” and urged other leaders to stand up against it.
Mr. Trump fired back on Wednesday, saying, “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”
The meat of the president’s address involved Greenland.
His fixation on the island sparked protests in the territory and in the streets of Copenhagen, and some onlookers in Switzerland gave Mr. Trump’s motorcade the middle finger on its way to the Davos hall.
“I was gonna leave it out of the speech,” Mr. Trump quipped from the lectern.
Mr. Trump repeatedly characterized his pursuit as a course correction from the post-World War II period, saying the U.S. effectively returned Greenland to European control after defeating the Axis powers.
The U.S. occupied Greenland following the war and made agreements with Denmark to maintain a military presence. Today, that’s mainly performed at Pituffik Space Base.
“We gave it back to them,” Mr. Trump said of Greenland, adding that ownership is paramount.
“You can’t defend it on a lease,” he said. “Psychologically, who the hell wants to defend a license agreement?”
Mr. Trump said he also wants Greenland to build an Iron Dome project that repels missiles from foreign enemies.
“We’re going to build a dome like no other,” he said.
Mr. Trump’s push to acquire Greenland is also sparking pushback from congressional lawmakers. Some Republicans worry it will upset the NATO alliance, while some Democrats say it’s a distraction from problems at home.
“No, Mr. President, we don’t ‘have to have’ a distant territory that already belongs to Denmark. What the American people ACTUALLY need is health care, food and groceries, and affordable housing,” Rep. Robert Garcia, California Democrat, said on social media. “These threats to acquire Greenland are deranged and must end.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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