President Donald Trump used his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to escalate a controversial effort to acquire Greenland, combining demands for negotiations with sharp warnings to Denmark and NATO allies. The appearance was marked by repeated confusion between Greenland and Iceland, followed by a defensive White House response that intensified criticism of Trump’s approach to foreign policy and relations with U.S. allies.
Addressing business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum, Trump said he had initially been “going to leave … out of the speech” his demand that the United States be handed ownership of Greenland. When he first raised the issue, he referred to Greenland correctly and framed the dispute as a question of American power and historical obligation.
Invoking World War II, Trump told the audience, “Without us, right now, you’d all be speaking German and a little Japanese, perhaps,” a claim that ignored the fact that German is a primary language spoken in Switzerland. He then criticized Denmark’s control of Greenland, saying, “After the war, we gave Greenland back to Denmark. How stupid were we to do that? But we did it, but we gave it back. But how ungrateful are they now?”
Trump described Denmark as “ungrateful” and suggested that acquiring Greenland was tied to U.S. self defense and national security interests. He said he was “seeking immediate negotiations” with Denmark to “discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States,” and for the first time publicly stated that he would not use the military to achieve that goal.
“I won’t do that,” Trump said. “People thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”
The pledge was accompanied by explicit pressure on Denmark and Europe. “So they have a choice,” Trump said. “You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no, and we will remember.” His remarks followed recent threats of new tariffs against multiple NATO members connected to the Greenland dispute, signaling that economic leverage remains central to his strategy.
Later in the speech, after turning briefly to Israel, Ukraine, and complaints about NATO, Trump returned to the issue of Greenland. This time, he repeatedly referred to it as “Iceland,” doing so four times. “Until the last few days when I told [European leaders] about Iceland, they loved me. They called me daddy,” Trump said. “But what I’m asking for is a piece of ice, cold and poorly located that can play a vital role in world peace.”
He also tied market movement to the issue, stating, “Our stock market took the first dip yesterday because of Iceland. So, Iceland’s already cost us a lot of money.” According to reporting from the same period, stocks had fallen amid Trump’s increasingly aggressive posture toward Greenland and rebounded after he ruled out using military force.
The remarks prompted an immediate response from the White House. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X after a reporter pointed out the apparent mix up. “No he didn’t, Libby[sic]. His written remarks referred to Greenland as a ‘piece of ice’ because that’s what it is. You’re the only one mixing anything up here,” Leavitt wrote, attaching a screenshot of a Google result showing ice associated with Greenland.
In reply, numerous users posted video clips of Trump clearly referring to Iceland when discussing Greenland, disputing Leavitt’s claim and accusing her of misrepresenting what occurred during the speech.
The episode renewed criticism of Trump’s handling of public messaging and added to concerns about his mental fitness, an issue that the source material notes has been raised repeatedly over the ten years since his first presidential run.
International condemnation of Trump’s Greenland campaign was already visible at the Davos conference. French President Emmanuel Macron said it was “not a time for new imperialism or new colonialism,” and accused Trump of attempting to economically hurt Europe to force leaders into submission. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney did not mention Greenland directly but criticized “American hegemony” and said the United States is using “economic integration as weapons” to take sovereignty from less powerful countries.
Despite the backlash, Trump delivered one argument consistently. He insisted that Denmark and NATO cannot adequately defend Greenland and that U.S. control is necessary. “The fact is, no nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the United States,” he said.
While Trump ruled out the use of force, his remarks underscored a broader strategy that relies on economic pressure and diplomatic coercion. The Davos appearance, marked by contradictory messaging and confusion over basic facts, has sharpened international resistance to the proposal and intensified scrutiny of the administration’s approach to foreign policy.
COMMENTS