U.S. President Donald Trump gave a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos that will be long remembered.
In an address that lasted an hour, Trump used the global stage to send sharp messages to European leaders and to issue an ultimatum regarding a territory he has been increasingly vocal about: Greenland.
Trump’s return to “beautiful Davos,” as he called it, was marked by a mixture of economic triumphalism and geopolitical threats.
While he greeted “friends and a few enemies” and claimed that “the U.S. is the economic engine of the planet,” without which the world cannot advance, the main theme that resonated in the hall was his intention to expand American territory.
“I just want a piece of ice to protect the world.”
Just days after threatening tariffs on eight European countries over their stance on a potential American takeover of the territory, Trump was even more direct in Davos.
“I am asking for urgent negotiations to take over Greenland,” Trump said, repeating the claim that U.S. presidents had tried to buy the island for nearly two centuries.
He stressed that no nation or group of nations, other than the United States, is in a position to secure Greenland.
“We are a great power, much bigger than people even understand. They realized that two weeks ago in Venezuela,” Trump said, adding that Denmark had failed to invest the promised $200 million in the island’s defense.
Trump justified his demands on security grounds and by citing historical precedents, recalling World War II when Denmark fell to Germany “after only six hours of fighting,” forcing the U.S. to intervene.
“After World War II we returned Greenland to Denmark. How stupid were we to do that? But we did. How ungrateful are they now?” Trump asked.
He explained that the U.S. seeks “full right, title, and ownership” because the territory cannot be defended via a lease.
“Number one: legally, you can’t defend it that way. Number two: psychologically, who wants to defend a licensing agreement?” Trump said, then addressed Denmark directly:
“You have a choice. Say yes, and we will appreciate it. Say no, and we will remember. I just want a piece of ice that will have an important role in defending the world. That’s a small request compared to what we have given them for decades. We want a piece of ice to protect the world.”
He nevertheless tried to calm tensions by saying that although the U.S. would be “unstoppable with excessive force,” he would not use force.
In closing, Trump reiterated the importance of NATO, stressing that he is responsible for member states now paying more, whereas previously the U.S. bore almost 100% of the costs.
