US President Donald Trump doubled down on his threats to take control of Greenland, saying on social media that there was “no turning back” and “Greenland is imperative”.
At a press conference at the White House, Trump was asked how far he would go to acquire Greenland and replied: “You’ll know.”
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron warned at the World Economic Forum meeting in Switzerland that “the world is moving towards a world without rules”, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said “the old order will not return”.
Trump, who is due to arrive in Davos on Wednesday, said he had “a lot of meetings scheduled in Greenland.”
During the lengthy press conference, Trump also told reporters that “things are going to go well” in Greenland.
When asked by the BBC whether the potential disintegration of the NATO alliance was a price the president was willing to pay for Greenland, he responded, “No one has done more for NATO than me in every way,” and said “NATO would be happy and we would be happy,” adding, “We need it for the security of the world.”
But he earlier questioned whether NATO would provide assistance if the United States needed it.
“I know we will come to the rescue (Nato), but I really doubt they will,” he told reporters.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) currently has 32 member states, and the United States is one of the 12 founding countries.
Aiming to preserve freedom and security through collective defence, one of the core principles of the NATO alliance is outlined in Article 5, which states that an armed attack against one or more members will be considered an attack against all members.
Trump has not ruled out using force to seize Greenland; when NBC News asked him yesterday if he would use force to seize the territory, the president responded “no comment.”
[Reuters]
Greenland’s Minister of Industry and Natural Resources Nadja Nathanielson told BBC Newsnight on Tuesday night that Greenlanders were “confused” by the president’s request.
“We don’t want to be Americans, we’ve made that very clear,” Nathaniel Nelson said.
“What do you think is the value of our culture and our right to decide what happens in the future?”
Tuesday is the first day of the Davos Forum. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed the issue directly in her speech to attendees, stressing that Europe was “fully committed” to Arctic security.
However, she said this could only be achieved together, calling Trump’s proposed additional tariffs “a mistake.”
The US president said he would impose a 10% tariff on “any and all goods” imported from eight European countries from February 1 if they oppose his proposal to acquire Greenland.
Von der Leyen added that the EU was “completely in solidarity” with Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, adding that their sovereignty was “non-negotiable”.
Her words were echoed by Canada’s Mark Carney, who said Canada’s commitment to NATO’s Article 5, which states that an armed attack against one or more member states is considered an attack against all members, was “unwavering.”
“We stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully support their unique right to determine Greenland’s future,” Carney said.
In his speech, Macron said he preferred “respect for bullies” and “the rule of law over brutality.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump threatened to impose 200% tariffs on French wine and champagne after Macron reportedly rejected an invitation to join a “peace committee” in Gaza.
The French president denounced the “endless increase of new tariffs” as “fundamentally unacceptable”, especially when used as leverage to violate territorial sovereignty.
Macron is among those urging the EU to consider retaliatory options for U.S. tariffs, including an anti-coercion tool nicknamed a “trade bazooka.”
Sources close to the International Trade Commission say the European Parliament is planning to suspend approval of the U.S. trade deal reached in July, a move that would mark another escalation of tensions between the United States and Europe.