President Donald Trump said the United States would not use military force to acquire Greenland, even as he described the vast Arctic island as “our territory” during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
His remarks renewed tensions with European allies, particularly Denmark, which controls the semi-autonomous territory.
Speaking to global political and business leaders, Trump argued that the U.S. is best positioned to control Greenland and criticised Europe for opposing the idea. “This enormous unsecured island is actually part of North America,” he said. “That’s our territory.” He also claimed that American economic strength drives global growth, saying, “When America booms, the whole world booms.”
Trump’s appearance was delayed after a minor electrical issue forced Air Force One to return to Washington to switch aircraft. The delay did not affect his scheduled keynote address, which drew a packed audience of executives and billionaires, including Michael Dell and Salesforce chief Marc Benioff.
While Trump highlighted efforts to tame inflation and improve affordability, much of his speech focused on grievances with other countries. He reiterated threats to impose tariffs on Denmark and seven other allies unless they negotiate a transfer of Greenland. The proposed tariffs would begin at 10 percent next month and rise to 25 percent in June.
European leaders pushed back strongly.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would not yield to tariff threats, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that any U.S. tariffs would prompt a united and proportional response.
The tensions rattled markets, with U.S. stocks falling sharply as investors weighed the potential economic impact of escalating trade disputes.