Trump in Davos: Only the USA can secure Greenland

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He addressed, among other things, the US economy, energy, trade and the country’s global security role. The speech ranged from domestic political achievements and economic growth to international conflicts, alliances and the United States’ responsibility in an increasingly uncertain world order.

He devoted part of the speech to outlining his views on Greenland, Denmark and Europe’s role in NATO and global security. Greenland featured prominently in the speech, with Trump repeating his desire for the United States to take over the island for reasons of national and international security.

Trump described Greenland as a large, sparsely populated and strategically located area between the United States, Russia and China. According to him, Greenland is currently insufficiently protected, and he stated that no nation or group of nations – apart from the United States – is truly capable of securing the island militarily. He placed Greenland as a central element of US security interests in the Western Hemisphere.

In this context, Trump announced that he wants immediate negotiations with Denmark on the United States taking over Greenland. He made it clear that he does not see a lease or agreement model as sufficient, but that, in his view, the United States needs full ownership in order to defend the area effectively. At the same time, he said that an American takeover of Greenland would not, in his assessment, threaten NATO, but rather strengthen the security of the entire alliance.

However, Trump explicitly rejected the use of military force to gain control over Greenland. He said that the United States has no need to use violence or coercion and that he does not wish to use force. According to Trump, the matter is about negotiations and agreements, not military intervention.

Regarding Denmark, Trump expressed both respect and criticism. He said that he has great respect for both the Danish and the Greenlandic people, but at the same time pointed to Denmark’s historical inability to defend Greenland, including references to Denmark’s rapid defeat during the Second World War. He highlighted that the United States established bases in Greenland at the time and was responsible for the defence of the area during the war, after which Greenland was returned to Denmark.

Trump also claimed that Denmark has not lived up to previous statements about strengthening Greenland’s defence. He referred to Denmark allegedly announcing investments of more than 200 million dollars in 2019, but according to him only a very small part of this amount has been spent. On this basis, he argued that the United States should take over the responsibility.

In a broader perspective, Trump directed criticism at European countries and their energy policies, particularly the green transition, which he described as economically damaging. He cited high energy prices and declining production in several European countries as examples. He also linked Europe’s challenges to migration and argued that these factors together have weakened both economic growth and security.

Trump also used NATO as a framework for his criticism. He repeated his view that the United States has for many years borne a disproportionately large share of the alliance’s costs, and that European countries should take greater responsibility – including in relation to the war in Ukraine. In this context, he presented his desire for Greenland as a relatively limited demand compared to the United States’ overall contribution to Europe’s security over decades.

This article was written by Rolf Larsen and originally published on 365nyheder.dk.