Brussels: US President Donald Trump has ruled out using force to seize Greenland after months of leaving the option on the table in his row with European leaders over the territory, adjusting his stance amid fears of a trade war over the dispute.
Trump repeated his demand for ownership of Greenland in a major address in Switzerland on Wednesday (early Thursday, AEDT) and warned that America would “remember” if it did not get the island, but he made his first clear statement about not using force to get his way.
“I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” he said.
Trump made the statement during an address to about 1000 delegates at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss town of Davos, and he highlighted the importance of his remarks in a sign that he knew he had clarified a key concern among political and business leaders.
In a long and sometimes rambling address, the US President also criticised Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney over his speech yesterday about the need to stand up to major powers, and he also carped about French President Emmanuel Macron over pharmaceutical trade.
Trump complained that the US had defended Europe during the Second World War and kept Greenland from falling into enemy hands, but chose to return the territory to Denmark at the end of the conflict – a decision he called a mistake.
“We never asked for anything and we never got anything,” he said. “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. OK? Now everyone’s saying: ‘Oh, good’. That’s probably the biggest statement I made, because people thought I would use force.”
It is the first time Trump has ruled out using force, having previously been vague about how far would be willing to go in his push.
Carney called on Tuesday for middle powers join forces on trade and other fronts to oppose great powers using coercion against them, although he did not name Trump, the US or China.
“The middle powers must act together, because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu,” Carney said.
Macron used his address to the forum to reject a “new imperialism” and called for a strong European trade response to threats, but did not make any personal remarks about the US President.
Trump acknowledged the “tough” speech from Macron – and noted the sunglasses he was wearing due to an eye condition – but he was more critical of Carney.
The US President said his plan for a new missile defence system, called the Golden Dome, would defend Canada as well as America.
“Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way,” he said. “They should be grateful also, but they’re not. I watched your prime minister yesterday, he wasn’t so grateful. But they should be grateful to US. Canada lives because of the United States.”
He also said Denmark was being ungrateful by refusing to hand over Greenland when the US had defended the territory during the Second World War.
“Now what I’m asking for is a piece of ice, cold and poorly located, that can play a vital role in world peace and world protection,” he said at a later point of his address.
“It’s a very small ask compared to what we have given them for many, many decades.
“But the problem with NATO is that we’ll be there for them 100 per cent but I’m not sure that they’ll be there for us.”
The remark repeated a common theme from Trump, that the NATO allies in Europe would not come to the defence of the US if called, but it comes at a time when some in Europe doubt the US would come to its defence under Trump’s approach to foreign policy.
Trump said Europe could say yes to the US over Greenland, or it could say no. If it said no, he added, the US would “remember”.
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