Trump rules out force but sticks to Greenland quest

President Donald Trump upped the pressure on Europe to cede control of Greenland or face the consequences, saying that NATO owes it to the US to grant it full rights to the Arctic island.

- Bloomberg

In a speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday after prompting days of transatlantic tensions over his plans, Trump said that he was seeking “immediate negotiations” on acquiring the sovereign Danish territory for national security reasons.

The president ruled out the use of military force, but he insinuated that he would weigh Europe's response to his demands when considering the US commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization going forward.

“You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative, or you can say no, and we will remember," the president said.

Trump cast the request as a "small ask" compared to the defense shield that the US has offered NATO countries for decades.

"What I'm asking for is a piece of ice, cold and poorly located, that can play a vital role in world peace and world protection," he said.

Trump's speech was closely watched for any signs that he was backing off his demands to take the world's largest island, after triggering strong pushback from multiple allies from eastern Europe to the Nordic nations and heavyweights Germany, France and the UK. European Union leaders are planning an extraordinary summit to discuss a response to Trump's threats on Greenland and associated tariffs on European nations that oppose him.

Still, his vow not to use force restored tentative calm on Wall Street, pushing up stocks and halting a slide in bonds.

"That's probably the biggest statement I made, because people thought I would use force," he said. "I don't have to use force. I don't want to use force.