Trump Has Strong Words for NATO Over Greenland

President Donald Trump on Wednesday ruled out using force to acquire Greenland, saying that Denmark should instead hand over the island to the United States.

“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable, but I won’t do that,” he said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“That’s probably the biggest statement I’ve made, because people thought I would use force, but I don’t use force,” Trump continued.

“I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland, where we already had it as a trustee, but respectfully returned it back to Denmark not long ago, after we defeated the Germans, the Japanese, the Italians, and others in World War II.”

Greenland, the world’s largest island, is an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark. The U.S. military occupied Greenland during World War II after Denmark fell under Nazi control. Following the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949, with both the U.S. and Denmark as founding members, the U.S. military kept a presence in Greenland.

Trump addressed the global gathering of business and political leaders. The World Economic Forum said more than 3,000 delegates from more than 130 countries are in attendance this week, according to Reuters.

Trump said Denmark can exchange a “piece of ice for World protection.”

“We’ve never asked for anything else, and we could have kept that piece of land and we didn’t,” he said. “So 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, and that’s one reason why I’m working every day to ensure our military is very powerful.”

Trump said, due to the threat of missiles, the United States needs Greenland now more than ever.

“Greenland is a vast, almost entirely uninhabited and undeveloped territory sitting undefended in a key strategic location between the United States, Russia, and China,” he said.

Trump said he respects Greenland and Denmark, but added that “every NATO ally has an obligation to be able to defend their own territory.”

“And the fact is, no nation or a group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the United States,” he said. “We’re a great power, much greater than people even understand. I think they found that out two weeks ago in Venezuela.”

Trump noted that the U.S. returned Greenland to Danish control after World War II.

“How stupid were we to do that? We did it, but we gave it back,” he said. “But how ungrateful are they now?”

Trump said the United States will protect “this giant piece of ice” to make both Europe and the U.S. safe.

“And that’s the reason I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States,” he said, just as we have acquired many other territories throughout our history, as many of the European nations have.”

He said this would not be a threat, but rather a benefit, to NATO. He said the U.S. is treated unfairly by NATO.

“We pay for, in my opinion, 100% of NATO because they weren’t paying their bills, he said, “and all we’re asking for is to get Greenland, including right title and ownership, because you need the ownership to defend it. You can’t defend it on a lease.”

“No. 1, legally, it’s not defensible that way, totally. And No. 2, psychologically, who the hell wants to defend a license agreement or a lease, which is a large piece of ice in the middle of the ocean where, if there is a war, will take place on that piece of ice?” he asked.

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