Trump Takes Firm Stance On Greenland At Davos, Rules Out Force

During President Donald Trump’s first term, his musings about acquiring Greenland were widely dismissed as a joke, serving as fodder for memes and late-night punchlines. In his second term, however, Trump has pressed the idea more seriously, raising it face-to-face with world leaders on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

In his remarks, Trump described Greenland as ‘part of North America’ and argued that it is essential to both his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system and the broader protection of U.S. national security.

“No nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the United States,” Trump said, arguing that Denmark, which owns the autonomous territory, had failed to meet its NATO obligations to defend it. In recent weeks, Trump has argued that both China and Russia pose a threat to the world’s largest island in the strategic Arctic.

Biggest moment: Trump rules out force to take Greenland.

“I don’t have to use force, I don’t want to use force, I won’t use force.” pic.twitter.com/PzOLorkjrR

— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) January 21, 2026

While Trump left open the possibility of military action as he set the stage for negotiations, he reassured the Davos audience that force would not be used, to the great relief of European countries.

“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable,” Trump said, before quickly adding, “But I won’t do that… I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”

Trump leaned heavily on World War II history, recounting how American forces moved into Greenland after Denmark fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, establishing bases to prevent enemy powers from gaining a foothold in the Western Hemisphere. He called the move to return Greenland to Denmark after the war foolish. 

“How stupid were we to do that? But we did it,” he said, adding that the island was “much more necessary now” than it had been decades earlier.

Trump on the U.S. controlling Greenland in WWII:

“When Denmark fell to Germany after just six hours of fighting and was totally unable to defend either itself or Greenland. So the United States was then compelled—we did it, we felt an obligation to do it—to send our own forces… pic.twitter.com/PnRdu0ISHn

— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) January 21, 2026

Trump rejected claims that he wants the island for its rare minerals, saying instead that Greenland’s value is a matter of national security, given its “key strategic location between the United States, Russia, and China.”

He also noted that past presidents tried to buy the island—likely referring to President Harry Truman, who in 1946 offered $100 million in gold along with rights to a tract of Alaskan oil.

“But there’s so much rare earth, and to get to this rare earth, you’ve got to go through hundreds of feet of ice,” he said. “That’s not the reason we need it. We need it for strategic national security and international security.”

He added that Greenland is “on the northern frontier of the Western Hemisphere.”

“That’s our territory,” he said.

Trump criticized Greenland’s defenses, claiming that Denmark failed to follow through with its pledge to invest $200 million to strengthen its security.

“No sign of Denmark there,” Trump said, leaving out the joke he has made in recent weeks that Greenland is defended by dog sleds.

“It’s the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice, develop it and improve it and make it so that it’s good for Europe and safe for Europe and good for us,” he said. “And that’s the reason I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States.”

The president repeatedly criticized NATO during his speech, saying the United States does far more to defend Europe than it receives in return and therefore should be granted Greenland.

Trump makes the case that NATO owes Greenland to the United States:

“What we have gotten out of NATO is nothing except to protect Europe from the Soviet Union and now Russia. We pay for NATO. And all we’re asking for is to get Greenland, including right, title, and ownership,… pic.twitter.com/rfUCu0UUWh

— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) January 21, 2026

“What we have gotten out of NATO is nothing except to protect Europe from the Soviet Union and now Russia,” he said. “We pay for NATO and all we’re asking for is to get Greenland, including right, title, and ownership, because you need the ownership to defend it.”

During a question-and-answer session with World Economic Forum President Børge Brende after his speech, Trump said Denmark is a “small country” spending “hundreds of millions to run it.”

“It’s a very big piece of ice. It’s very important that we use that for national and international security. That can create a power that will make it impossible for the bad guys to do anything against the perceived good ones.”