President Donald Trump insisted Wednesday he won’t use force to acquire Greenland. Not now, not ever. He made that clear during a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) before the elites in Davos, Switzerland, assembled for the annual gathering.
Trump acknowledged the U.S. is booming but Europe is “not heading in the right direction,” AP reports, before making clear immediate negotiations are required to decide Greenland’s future.
He said he thinks the U.S. should acquire it and added to world leaders that Greenland has a choice.
“You can say yes, and we’ll be very appreciative, or you can say no and we will remember,” he says.
“A strong and secure America means a strong NATO,” he added, affirming the same intentions as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte who is looking for a negotiated outcome to the Greenland question.
The possibility of using what he described as “excessive strength and force” was touched on but then dismissed.
“I won’t do that,” Trump told the room.
Earlier in the speech, the president had said he was “seeking immediate negotiations” to acquire the semi-autonomous territory.
He added, “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive force, we’d be unstoppable, but we won’t do that.”
Trump further clarified: “I don’t have to use force, I don’t want to use force, I won’t use force.”
All the U.S. is asking for, he affirmed, is “a place called Greenland.”