United States President Donald Trump has said he would not resort to military force to take control of Greenland, an autonomous territory under Denmark, but maintained that the United States still needs to secure ownership of the strategically located landmass.
Speaking on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump addressed long-standing speculation about his interest in Greenland, stressing that although the U.S. has overwhelming military capability, he has no intention of using force to pursue the territory.
“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,” Trump told global leaders at the summit. He added that his comments were meant to reassure critics who believed he might consider military action. “I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” he said.
Despite ruling out coercion, Trump renewed his call for urgent discussions with Denmark on the possible acquisition of Greenland, arguing that U.S. control would benefit both security and development in the region. He described Greenland as a vast and vital territory whose protection and advancement, in his view, could only be guaranteed by Washington.
“It’s the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice, develop it and improve it,” Trump told the forum. He said this belief underpins his demand for “immediate negotiations” with Denmark to revisit the idea of Greenland becoming part of the United States.
Greenland, which enjoys wide autonomy but remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, is a NATO-linked territory and holds increasing strategic importance due to its location in the Arctic and its natural resources. Trump’s renewed remarks revive a controversial proposal he first floated during his presidency, which was firmly rejected by Danish and Greenlandic officials at the time.
