Trump Rules Out Military Force In Greenland Acquisition Bid

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he was pursuing a diplomatic path to acquiring Greenland, insisting that while the US has overwhelming military capacity, he has no intention of using force to take the territory.

Speaking to world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to acquire Greenland.”

He described the bid as a matter of strategic and international security rather than territorial aggression.

“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. I don’t have to use force, I don’t want to use force, I won’t use force,” Trump said.

The US president argued that Greenland’s location makes it critical to American and Nato security interests, describing the island as “a vast, almost uninhabited and undeveloped country, sitting undefended.”

“It’s the US alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice, develop it and improve it,” he said.

Trump said his push for Greenland was not unprecedented, noting that previous American presidents had explored the idea of acquiring the territory.

He also revived a controversial historical claim, saying: “We already had it, but we returned it to Denmark after World War Two. We should have kept it.”

Despite repeated assurances that he would not use military force, Trump warned that the US would remember Greenland’s response to his overtures.

“You can say yes, and we’ll be very appreciative, or you can say no and we will remember,” he said, adding that “a strong and secure America means a strong Nato.”

His remarks came amid tension between the US and European leaders over his proposed acquisition of Greenland.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier told lawmakers in London that the UK would not “yield” to pressure from Trump over Greenland, while French President Emmanuel Macron described proposed US tariffs linked to the issue as “fundamentally unacceptable,” warning the European Union could consider retaliatory measures.

Trump dismissed concerns that a Greenland acquisition could damage Nato, insisting the alliance had treated the US unfairly over the years.

“We give so much and we get so little in return,” he said, adding that Europe and Nato “don’t appreciate what we do.”

While Trump acknowledged Denmark’s role, he claimed there was “no sign” of adequate Danish investment or protection on the island.