January 22, 2026
NEW DELHI – US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ruled out the use of force to acquire Greenland and instead called for immediate negotiations over the potential US takeover of the Island as he addressed world leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
His address was highly anticipated amid tensions between the US and Europe over his Greenland takeover push.
Trump began his speech saying he is addressing business leaders, friends, and “a few enemies”. He said that the Europe is not heading in the right direction. “I love Europe, I want to see it do good but it’s not going in the right direction.”
Trump seeks immediate negotiations to acquire Greenland
Turning his focus on Greenland after some fancy claims about the economic growth of America, the US President said he was going to leave the issue out of his speech but thought if he did so, he would have been reviewed very negatively.
Calling Greenland a “vast, almost uninhabited and undeveloped country”, Trump said, “it is sitting undefended in a key strategic location between the U.S., Russia, and China.”
He claimed that Greenland is actually part of North America — on the northern frontier of the Western Hemisphere. “It is a core national security interest of the US — and in fact, has been our policy for hundreds of years to prevent outside threats from entering our hemisphere.”
Trump said that the Arctic Island’s strategic national security and international security matters the most and only the United States can protect Greenland. “That’s the reason I am seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland…This would not be a threat to NATO—this would greatly enhance the security of the entire alliance,” he added.
US won’t use force to acquire Greenland
Trump said the US already had the Greenland after World War II but gave it respectfully to the Kingdom of Denmark. “All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland, where we already had it, as trustee, but respectfully returned it back to Denmark not long ago, after we defeated the Germans, the Japanese, the Italians, and others in WW2.”
He said the US never asked for anything, neither it was given anything and probably won’t get anything unless he decides to use excessive force but he won’t do that. “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…,” he clarified.
‘Say yes and we will be appreciative, say no and we will remember’: Trump to Greenland
In a direct message to Denmark, which controls Greenland, Trump said he wants the land for national and international security to keep enemies at bay and build the greatest Golden Dome, an ambitious air defence system US wants to build.
He issued a veiled threat to Greenlanders, as he gave them a choice – “You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no, and we will remember.”
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‘US cares greately about the people of Europe,’ says Trump
He said that the United States cares greately about the people of Europe and believes deeply in the bonds the countries shares with them. “That’s why issues like energy, trade, immigration, and economic growth must be central concerns to anyone who wants a strong to see a strong and united West.”
American economy “booming”, says Trump
Trump hailed the economic growth of the US under his rule, claiming the the previous Biden administration left America “plagued by the nightmare of Stagflation”.
“But now, after just one year of my policies, we are witnessing the exact opposite — virtually no inflation, and extraordinarily high economic growth,” he added. “The USA is the economic engine on the planet — and when America booms, the entire world booms.”
He said he has proven the experts who predicted his plans would trigger a global recession wrong.
“In recent decades, it became conventional wisdom in Washington, and European capitals that the only way to grow a modern Western economy was through ever-increasing government spending, unchecked mass migration and endless foreign imports… Virtually all of the so-called ‘experts’ predicted my plans to end this failed model would trigger a global recession and runaway inflation, but we have proven them wrong,” he said.
Trump claims oil and gas production under his leadership has increased
The US President claimed that he has stopped “the nation-wrecking energy policies that drive-up prices, while sending jobs and factories to the world’s worst polluters.”
“Under my leadership, U.S. Natural Gas production is at an all-time high, U.S. oil production is up by 730,000 barrels a day… the price of Gasoline is now below $2.50 a gallon in many states,” he claimed.