US President Donald Trump has ruled out military action to take control ofGreenlandwhile also saying he wants to hold more talks on the United States acquiring the island, which he described as our territory during a keynote speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21.
Hours after his speech, Trump also walked back a plan to impose tariffs on some European countries for opposing his Greenland policy.
In Trump's highly anticipated speech on an issue that has caused acute alarm in other NATO countries, Trump said thatUS ownershipof Greenland was a matter for both US and international security and that only Washington had the power to defend it against threats by other countries.
Trump did not name the countries but has, in recent comments, spoken of a Russian and Chinese threat to Greenland -- an autonomous territory belonging to NATO-memberDenmark.
No Military Action
"I'm seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States," Trump said.
I don't have to use force. I don't want to use force. I won't use force, he added, reversing earlier comments in which he had not ruled it out.
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NATO Mulls 'Arctic Sentry' To Ease US-Denmark Tensions Over Greenland
In early reaction to Trumps comments, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said his country was open to talks.
"What is quite clear after this speech is that the president's ambition remains intact," he said, also noting that what the president said about the military was positive.
But Trump made it clear that his aim of taking control of Greenland remained firmly in place and appeared to link the issue to Washingtons commitment toNATO.
We want a piece of ice for world protection, and they won't give it. We'd never ask for anything elseSo they have a choice. You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no, and we will remember. A strong and secure America means a strong NATO, he said.
Other European leaders have vocally supported Denmarks position in recent days, and diplomats from European Union countries told RFE/RL that Trumps speech would not allay concerns in capitals across the continent.
"I dont know if this quote is an implicit threat, but he said that NATO will be stronger if Greenland belongs to the US, and there is nothing Denmark or NATO can do...I think he gave the topic quite a bit of time," said an ambassador from one EU nation, who spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity.
Map: Arctic Crossroads (Greenland ai2html)
Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, told RFE/RL it will be reasonably construed by many people as some form of a threat.
I will be surprised if Trump lets this go. I think he's going to stay on Greenland like a dog on the bone. At least for now, he appears to have taken the military option off the table, he added.
Other EU diplomats told RFE/RL that Trumps Davos speech changed nothing and was nothing new.
Tariff Plan Scrapped
Trump has also sought to apply pressure via nonmilitary means, announcing on January 17 that he would impose extra tariffs on eight European countries if they continued to oppose US ownership of Greenland. As Trump was speaking in Davos, the European Parliament announced it was freezing work on approval of the US-EU trade deal agreed in July.
But, hours after finishing his speech in Davos, Trump posted a statement online saying the tariffs would not be imposed based on a deal he had struck with NATO chief Mark Rutte.
"This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO nations," he wrote.
In his Davos speech, Trump reiterated an earlier point that, although it already had a military base in Greenland, it needed control of the island for psychological reasons -- and that a lease or other arrangement was not enough.
Who the hell wants to defend a license agreement? he asked. Trump supporters have developed this point in recent days, suggesting major military investments are needed on Greenland. Trump mentioned it in his speech as a base for the planned Golden Dome missile defense system.
If were going to spend a bunch of moneywe need to have the legal control and the legal protections that justify building the place up and putting our people on the ground, said Senator Lindsey Graham on January 8.
The United States has particular concern about the ultimate security status of anindependent Greenland, Alexander Gray, chief executive officer of American Global Strategies LLC, an international strategic advisory firm, told RFE/RL.
An independent Greenland would likely follow the path of other lightly populated, developing states and quickly have its sovereignty compromised by China and Russia, directly threatening US security interests, added Gray, who served on the National Security Council (NSC) during Trumps first term in the White House.
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Frozen Ambitions: Why America Wants Greenland
A Distraction From Ukraine?
As Washington has increased the pressure, Western leaders have responded that it is threatening to cause massive harm to NATO itself. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned at Davos on January 20 of a "rupture" to the US-led international system.
French President Emmanuel Macron has suggested the focus on Greenland risks undermining cooperation on countries such asIranand Syria. Other NATO leaders have warned it is diverting attention fromUkraine.
The situation with respect to Greenland is absolutely distracting time, attention, and resources from Ukraine. I mean, we have European allies talking about deploying forces to GreenlandI'd rather you send those to Eastern Europe, said the FDDs Bowman.
