US will not use force to take Greenland, says Trump

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the US will not use force to take Greenland and stressed that only America can protect the mineral-rich island, which is at the centre of escalating geopolitical tensions with Europe.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, Trump also said that the US is booming, but Europe is “not heading in the right direction”.
“I have tremendous respect for people of Greenland and Denmark, but only the US can secure Greenland,” Trump said in his 70-minute-long speech during which he launched a blistering attack on NATO allies on a range of issues, including tariffs, environment and immigration.
His speech was followed by a 20-minute question-and-answer session.
“We fought for beautiful Denmark, which is not a land, but a big piece of ice, cold and poorly located. It is a very small ask compared to what we have given them for many, many decades. We were stupid to give it back,” Trump said, staking claims over the region.
“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.”
Trump said that Greenland, which is a Danish territory, has a strategic location between the US, Russia, and China.
“The US needs it for strategic reasons, not for rare earth minerals.”
Only the US can protect Greenland, and many European nations have also acquired territories; there is nothing wrong with it.
“We were a powerful force when we saved Greenland and gave it to Denmark after World War II, but we are much more powerful now”, Trump said.
Trump also called for immediate negotiations for the US to acquire Greenland from Denmark, describing the country as ungrateful, during his speech at Davos.
The US President had earlier threatened to impose a 10 per cent tariff on European countries opposing his plan to take control of Greenland.
On Ukraine, Trump said he is ‘reasonably close’ to a deal on stopping the Russia-Ukraine war, though he had earlier thought it would be an easier one for him to settle in a matter of hours.
He also said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be stupid if they don’t end it now, and that he knows they are not stupid.
The President also spoke on the US’ economic strength and global prosperity, saying “the USA is the economic engine of the planet…we want to protect brilliant people because there are not many”.
He said the money, which America is getting from tariffs, is being used judiciously for the country and its people.
“When America booms, the entire world booms”.
Trump began his speech by greeting ‘so many friends’ and ‘a few enemies’.
He said Americans are very happy about electing him, observing, “two years ago, we were a dead country, but now we are alive again”.
“We are raising taxes on foreign nations to recover damages they have caused to us,” Trump said, adding the US has made some great trade deals. “Everyone knows when the US grows, you will follow”.
On Venezuela, he said it has been an amazing place for so many years, but it was ruined due to wrong policies.
“Venezuela said let’s do a deal after attack ended,” he said, pointing out that the country will make more money in the next six months than it had made in six years.
The President also took a dig at environment lobby, saying China is selling windmills to “stupid people in Europe and making fortunes”.
Observing that he did not see any windmills in China, Trump said, “Windmills kill birds, destroy landscapes, and stupid people buy them…You are supposed to make money with energy, not lose it. People lose money when windmills come up on their land”.
Referring to Canada, Trump said, it gets a lot of freebies from the US and the nation should be grateful to America.
The US President said he took an average three minutes to make countries agree to raise prescription drug prices.
“I told them to do it, as you are screwing us for 30 years,” Trump said, adding that he wants to work with every country and doesn’t want to destroy anyone, “but they need to pay for deficit they have caused by not paying taxes”.