On Wednesday, January 21, US President Donald Trump said he would not use force to acquire Greenland, which is his first explicit declaration of the same, putting him against using force despite urging US control of the Arctic island during an address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
Trump said they were not likely to receive anything unless he would apply unreasonable power and force, at which we would be, frankly, unstoppable. “But I won’t do that. Okay. Now everyone says, oh, good.”
Trump claimed he was only talking about the speculation of the potential exercise of military power.
That was the most likely statement I made, since people believed I would resort to force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” he said.
Trump reiterated his request of the control over Greenland by saying, “All the United States wants is a place known as Greenland.
He then emphasized that he had seen a complete US ownership of Greenland and not an extended deal.
Trump demanded to get Greenland, the right title, and ownership because, without the ownership, one cannot defend it. “You can’t defend it on a lease.”
Calling for talks with European allies, Trump urged “immediate negotiations” on a potential US acquisition of Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO member.
Laying out what he described as the strategic case for the move, Trump said, “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.”
“And that’s the reason I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States, just as we have acquired many other territories throughout our history, as many of the European nations have,” he added.
Trump also argued that US control of Greenland would strengthen the NATO alliance.
“This would not be a threat to NATO. This would greatly enhance the security of the entire alliance, the NATO alliance,” he said, adding that he believes the US has been “treated very unfairly by NATO.”
Reiterating his demand for control of Greenland, Trump said “no nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland, other than the United States.”
“Every NATO ally has an obligation to be able to defend their own territory,” he said. “We’re a great power, much greater than people even understand.”
Trump also criticised Denmark over Greenland, calling it “ungrateful” and linking his remarks to World War II-era events.
“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, and we did it,” Trump said, while referring to the US role in defending the territory.
Lamenting the US decision at the time to allow Denmark to retain Greenland as a territory, Trump said, “How stupid were we to do that?”
“But we did it, but we gave it back. But how ungrateful are they now?” he added.
(With Inputs From ANI)
