Trump: 'We Won't Use Force on Greenland… But You Can Say No and We Will Remember - Negotiations Now!'

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, US President Donald Trump emphasized that the United States seeks “immediate negotiations” regarding Greenland, while insisting he would not use force to acquire the island. He described Greenland as strategically vital, claiming it could play “a role in world peace and world protection” and calling his request “a very small ask” compared with the decades of US contributions to NATO. Trump warned, “You can say yes and we will be very appreciative, or you can say no and we will remember,” framing the discussion as a high-stakes negotiation. [Denmark has repeatedly stated that Greenland is not for sale.]

Throughout his speech, Trump repeatedly claimed that the US “gave back” Greenland to Denmark after World War II, asserting, “We already had it as a trustee, but respectfully returned it back to Denmark not long ago.” [This is baseless; Greenland has been part of the Kingdom of Denmark for centuries. While the US established military bases there during the war under a security agreement, it never owned the territory. In 1946, President Harry Truman proposed buying Greenland, but Denmark rejected the offer.]

Turning to NATO and Europe, Trump criticized the alliance and European leaders, stating, “We give so much, and we get so little in return… death, disruption, and massive amounts of cash given to people who don’t appreciate what we do.” He singled out NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, questioning Europe’s willingness to defend the United States, and claimed the US has gained “nothing out of NATO,” aside from protecting Europe from Russia. [NATO’s Article 5 collective defense pledge has been invoked once, after 9/11.]

Trump also lamented the state of Europe more broadly: “Certain places in Europe are not even recognisable… it’s horrible what they’re doing to themselves. They are destroying themselves.” He urged European nations to focus on energy, trade, immigration, and economic growth while highlighting his Scottish and German heritage.

Revisiting Greenland, Trump framed the US role in World War II as decisive: “Without us, you’d be speaking German and Japanese perhaps.” He said the US had to intervene at great cost to secure Greenland and install military bases. Trump then pivoted to a more futuristic vision, claiming he wants to build “the greatest Golden Dome ever built” on the island to protect against nuclear threats, while also safeguarding Canada, which he said “gets a lot of freebies from us,” and telling Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney he should be “grateful.” Trump even jokingly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to claim credit for the Golden Dome technology, insisting it is American.

On domestic US policy, Trump touted his economic achievements, claiming that “inflation has been defeated,” core inflation is at 1.6%, and Q4 2025 growth is predicted at 5.4%. He declared his first term “the most successful ever” financially and called the implementation of “100% expensing” rules a “miracle” supporting investment. He also announced efforts to reduce the cost of living, including an executive order limiting large institutional investors from buying single-family homes and a call to Congress to cap credit card interest rates at 10% for a year.

On monetary policy, Trump said he will soon announce the next Federal Reserve chair, praising all candidates as capable while criticizing current Fed Chair Jerome “too late” Powell. He claimed the US should enjoy the lowest interest rates globally, noting that American government debt is widely treated as a “risk-free” asset. [Long-term US bond yields reflect inflation expectations, so interest rates are not solely determined by the US government.]

Finally, Trump addressed ongoing global conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war. He stated that he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing, “They’ve got to get that war stopped,” signaling his intention to negotiate peace.