US President Donald Trump has said he is “seeking immediate negotiations” to acquire Greenland from Denmark but insisted he “won’t use force” to take over the semi-autonomous territory, reiterating at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday that the island was vital to American national security, even as he warned that Washington could exert overwhelming power if it chose to do so, saying, “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive force. We’d be unstoppable, but we won’t do that,” adding, “I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” while urging world leaders to back the move with the warning, “You can say yes and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no and we will remember,” as he dismissed partial arrangements short of outright ownership, arguing, “Psychologically, who the hell wants to defend a license agreement or a lease?” and describing Greenland as “a large piece of ice in the middle of the ocean, where if there is a war, much of the action will take place on that piece of ice,” comments that followed his threat to impose tariffs on European countries opposing the plan, including a proposed 10 per cent tariff on UK goods from February 1, rising to 25 per cent from June 1, alongside similar measures against Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, prompting criticism from French President Emmanuel Macron, who called an “endless accumulation of new tariffs” “fundamentally unacceptable,” as Trump also used the speech to criticise Macron, claiming France had been “screwing” the US for decades, and to rebuke Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s call for “middle powers” to unite, accusing him of ingratitude and saying, “Canada lives because of the United States,” amid broader tensions over trade, security and alliances.
