Davos — US president Donald Trump used his appearance at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos to revive one of his most controversial foreign policy ideas, saying the United States should enter into immediate negotiations to acquire Greenland, framing the move as a national security imperative rather than an economic grab.
Addressing delegates, Trump said he “respects the people of Greenland and Denmark” before arguing that no other country was in a position to secure the vast Arctic territory.
“There is no nation in any position to secure Greenland except the United States,” he said.
Trump invoked World War II history to bolster his case, telling the audience that Denmark “fell to Germany after six hours of fighting,” after which the US established military bases in Greenland. “We set up bases for Denmark on Greenland,” he said, adding pointedly: “Without the US, you would all be speaking German — and a little Japanese.”
Describing Greenland as “a big piece of ice,” Trump dismissed suggestions that Washington’s interest was driven by minerals. “We don’t need it for minerals. We need it for national security,” he said, arguing that Greenland’s strategic position in the Arctic made it essential to US defence interests.
He went further, asserting a geographic claim by saying Greenland is part of North America and therefore “our territory,” and accused Denmark of failing to acknowledge the US role during the war. “Denmark is ungrateful,” said Trump.
Trump stressed that his call for talks was not a threat to NATO, even as he repeated long-standing grievances about the alliance. “This is not a threat to NATO,” he said, before adding that the US had been “treated very unfairly by NATO. We give so much and receive very little,” said Trump.
Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has repeatedly rejected the idea of being sold.
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