President Donald Trump on Wednesday tried to ease European nerves by saying he would not deploy military force to seize Greenland, walking back earlier comments in which he had left that possibility open.
"That's probably the biggest statement I made, because people thought I would use force," the president told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, of his earlier comments that he wouldn't "rule out" the use of force. "I don't have to use force. I don't want to use force. I won't use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland," he added. Trump's remarks were cheered by several delegates attending the WEF.
Trump Eases Tensions and Concerns
Earlier, the president and his top aides had suggested that nothing was off the table when it came to acquiring Greenland, including both diplomacy and the use of force. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other experts argued that the island could play a key role in Trump's proposed Golden Dome missile defense system, helping detect and stop intercontinental ballistic missiles launched by rivals like Russia or China.
"That's possibly the most strategic piece of real estate in the entire planet," Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) told The Post on Tuesday. "You know why? Because Russia can attack us right over."
"I just got a letter from General [Gregory] Guillot today. He's the NORTHCOM commander, expressing how incredibly important it is that we integrate Greenland into NORAD that protects us from being attacked by Russia and China with these hypersonic missiles," Van Orden continued.
However, the GOP lawmaker added, "I have a hard time envisioning a world where we invade an ally. Work with them, fine."
Greenland Still Not for Sale
Greenland's Premier, Jens Frederik Nielsen, and Denmark's Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, have been firm in their stance that the island is "not for sale." Trump's rhetoric — along with the possibility of new tariffs — rattled European leaders at first, even prompting warnings that they could walk away from a massive trade deal with the US, potentially worth hundreds of billions of dollars, that had been worked out last year.
"President Trump is 'America First' — that doesn't mean 'America Alone,'" Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) added when asked about the current state of US-EU relations.
"He's letting them know where he thinks they need to be," Meuser said. "And for them to — without discussing, without trying to work with the president, without trying to get it — come out and state that they're opposing this, that he's wrong, 'not for sale' ... Guess what? Let's see how you like this."
"If you're going to oppose us, we're going to hit you with a 10% tariff, and I suggest that you come to the table so we can so we can come together," the Pennsylvania Republican emphasized.
"He not only is negotiating, he's looking after American interests, and he's not going to allow America to be pushed around anymore."
