“I don’t think they’re going to push back too much. Look, we have to have it,” Trump told reporters on Monday in Miami before departing for Davos, referencing his plans for the island.
He again disputed Denmark’s historical claim to Greenland, saying: “They say a boat landed there hundreds of years ago — but we had boats landing there, also.”
Later, on Truth Social, Trump said he had a “very good conversation” with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte about Greenland and expected multilateral talks during his visit to Davos.
“Greenland is imperative for national and world security,” he posted. “There can be no going back – on that, everyone agrees!”
Trump also acknowledged he was angered by NATO troop deployments to the island, despite assurances they were meant to deter Russian aggression.
He claimed NATO had warned Denmark for two decades about threats to Greenland.
Addressing tensions with France, Trump criticized Macron’s apparent refusal to join his planned “Board of Peace” and threatened 200-percent tariffs on French wine and champagne.
“I’ll put a 200-percent tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join,” Trump said. “But he doesn’t have to join.”
Trump dismissed concerns over Macron’s rejection of the board. “Nobody wants him because he will be out of office very soon,” he said, referencing the upcoming 2027 French presidential election.
Trump also referenced a recent dispute with Norway, repeating the false claim that the Norwegian government controls the Nobel Peace Prize, news outlets reported.
In a message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Trump wrote that since he did not receive the award, he no longer felt obligated “to think purely of peace.”
The US president further escalated tensions by posting doctored images on social media — including one depicting him and senior officials planting an American flag in Greenland with the caption: “Greenland, US Territory, Est. 2026.”
Trump also published what he said was a text message from Macron, in which the French leader questioned the US strategy on Greenland while offering to host post-Davos talks in Paris with leaders from Ukraine, Denmark, Syria and Russia.
Trump did not respond publicly to the offer.
European Union leaders are expected to hold an emergency summit on Thursday in Brussels to discuss their response to Trump’s tariff threats.
Among the measures under consideration are retaliatory duties on USD 100 billion worth of US goods or invoking the bloc’s unused anti-coercion instrument.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP, BBC, Polish Radio