US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would not use force in his push to bring Greenland under American control, but insisted that no other country is capable of securing the Danish territory.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said: “People thought I would use force, but I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”
Despite the assurance his remarks further unsettled European allies and added to growing tensions over his Greenland proposal which has already strained transatlantic relations.
Trump took a sharp tone towards Europe criticizing US allies over policies ranging from immigration to the environment and geopolitics.
Calling Denmark “ungrateful”, he dismissed the issue as a “small ask” for a “piece of ice” and claimed the move would pose no threat to the NATO alliance.
“No nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the United States,” he said, adding that he wanted immediate negotiations on the territory’s acquisition.
During the more than hour long speech, Trump repeatedly misspoke, referring to Greenland as Iceland.
NATO leaders have warned that his strategy could damage the alliance while Denmark and Greenland have instead offered ways to expand US cooperation without any transfer of sovereignty.
Trump’s speech overshadowed the WEF agenda with many delegates eventually drifting away from the session despite the packed hall at the start.
Read more: Trump’s Davos Speech on Greenland, NATO and Venezuela Overshadows World Economic Forum
