Agadir – As Donald Trump joined the World Economic Forum alongside top global leaders in Davos, the US president emphasized his plan to take over the “big, beautiful piece of ice.”
Trump addressed the attendance in his speech, saying that he is “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States.”
While recalling the US never got anything without the use of extensive and unstoppable force, Trump suggested he does not want to “use force.” He said, “I won’t use force. All the US is asking for is a place called Greenland. You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no and we will remember.”
He justified his request by referring to the US role in World War II. Trump stated “without us, now you’d all be speaking German, or a little Japanese perhaps,” arguing that only the United States is capable of defending “this enormous, unsecured island.”
“You need the ownership to defend it. You can’t defend it on a lease. Who the hell wants to defend a licence agreement, or a lease?” he said.
Trump commented on NATO’s efforts to protect Greenland, emphasizing that the US is not a threat to the alliance. He claimed that the US has been shortchanged by NATO, lamenting: “We give so much, and we get so little in return.”
He argues that although the US was committed to defending NATO allies, the support has not been reciprocated. “We’re there for NATO 100%. I’m not sure if they’d be there for us,” Trump said.
French president Emmanuel Macron also spoke at the Forum, and he condemned Trump’s rhetoric on Greenland as unbefitting of a US president and a NATO member. This is “not a time for new imperialism or new colonialism,” Macron said, describing Trump’s efforts to take over Greenland as “useless aggressivity.”
According to Macron, the US is seeking to “weaken and subordinate Europe” by demanding “maximum concessions” and imposing tariffs that are “fundamentally unacceptable, even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty”.
Also speaking at the Forum before Trump’s remarks, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged mid-sized nations to unite against US “coercion.” He said: “Middle powers must act together, because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.”
Trump responded directly to Carney during his speech: “Canada lives because of the US: remember that, Mark, next time you make your statements.”
Read also: Trump Threatens Up to 25 % Tariffs on European Allies Over Greenland