U.S. President Donald Trump further strengthened his threat to take control of Greenland, saying on social media that “we cannot go back” and “Greenland is essential.”
When asked at a press conference held at the White House how much Greenland he would be willing to acquire, President Trump responded, “You’ll find out.”
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron warned of a “transition to a world without rules” at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting held in Switzerland, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, “The existing order will not return.”
Trump is expected to arrive in Davos on Wednesday, where he said he has “a lot of meetings scheduled in Greenland.”
“Things are going to work out pretty well” in Greenland, Trump told reporters at a lengthy press briefing.
Asked by the BBC whether the possibility of the breakup of the NATO alliance was a price he would be willing to pay for Greenland, he replied: “No one has done more for NATO in all respects than me.” “NATO will be happy and we will be happy,” he said, adding, “We need that for global security.”
But he early It raised questions about whether NATO would support the United States if necessary.
“I know we will come to (NATO)’s rescue, but I really doubt they will come to our rescue,” he told reporters.
NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, currently has 32 member countries, and the United States is one of the 12 founding countries.
One of the core principles of the NATO alliance, designed to protect freedom and security through collective defense, is enshrined in Article 5. This means that an armed attack against one or more member states is considered an attack against all member states.
Trump has not ruled out using military force to acquire Greenland. When NBC News asked yesterday whether he would use force to seize the territory, the president responded, “No comment.”
Greenland’s Minister of Industry and Natural Resources, Naaja Nathanielsen, told BBC Newsnight on Tuesday evening that Greenlanders were “dismayed” by the president’s demands.
“We don’t want to be American, and we’ve been very clear about that,” Nathanielsen said.
“What value do you place on our culture and our right to decide what happens to us in the future?”
Before the Davos Forum, President Trump released screenshots of text messages sent to him by President Macron and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
In the report, Prime Minister Rutte said he was committed to finding a way forward in Greenland, while President Macron said he “doesn’t understand what you are doing” but offered to arrange a meeting with other leaders in Paris.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed this issue directly in her address to attendees. On Tuesday, the first day of the forum, he emphasized Europe’s “complete commitment” to Arctic security.
But she said this can only be achieved together and called Trump’s proposed additional tariffs a “mistake.”
The US president said he would add a 10% tariff starting February 1 on all goods imported from eight European countries that oppose his proposed acquisition of Greenland.
In his speech, Von der Leyen said the European Union was in “full solidarity” with the Kingdom of Greenland and Denmark, adding that their sovereignty was “non-negotiable”.
Canadian lawmaker Mark Carney agreed with her, saying his country’s commitment to NATO’s Article 5, which states that an armed attack against one or more member countries is considered an attack against all members, was “firm.”
“We stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully support their inherent right to determine Greenland’s future,” Carney said.
In his remarks, Macron said he preferred “respect for bullying” and “the rule of law over cruelty.”
Previously, President Trump threatened to impose a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne after Macron reportedly declined an invitation to join the Gaza Peace Committee.
The French president condemned the “endless accumulation of new tariffs” as “fundamentally unacceptable,” especially when used as leverage against territorial sovereignty.
Macron is among those urging the EU to consider retaliatory options for US tariffs, including counter-coercion measures nicknamed ‘trade bazooka’.
Sources close to the International Trade Commission said the European Parliament plans to withhold approval of the US trade deal agreed in July, a move that would further increase tensions between the US and Europe.
