US president Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on Nato and Europe as he doubled down on his demands for Greenland – but backed down on using force.
In an extraordinary speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he said he wanted immediate talks to discuss acquiring the Danish territory, but vowed he would “not use force” to seize it.
The increasingly volatile president hit out at Nato, claiming the US has “never gotten anything” from being part of the alliance and arguing that a US takeover of Greenland is “a very small ask” compared with what his country has done for its fellow members.
“Now 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.
Mr Trump also launched a stinging attack on Europe, claiming it was “unrecognisable” due to immigration – echoing a trope repeated by the European and American far right.
His remarks will further fuel tensions between Europe and Washington over the Danish territory as Nato leaders attempt to prevent a diplomatic crisis.
Hours later, Trump rowed back on his threat to slap tariffs on the UK and Nato allies who opposed his ambitions to annex Greenland and said he and the alliance’s chief “formed the framework of a future deal” for the Arctic region.
Following a “very productive meeting” with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte on the fringes of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Trump suggested he had now reconsidered and would scrap plans for new 10% tariffs on eight Nato countries, including the UK, as a result of their opposition to his ambitions for the mineral-rich territory.
On his Truth Social platform, the US president said: “We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region. This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all Nato Nations.
“Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st.”
Mr Trump also suggested there had been talks on creating a missile defence system to ward off potential attacks by Russia and China from across the Arctic, something which he had dubbed the “Golden Dome”.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Trump later added that the putative “outlines” of the agreement included “everything we wanted.” But, he offered few specifics on what the deal entails other than saying it will last “forever.”
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer used his most hostile language yet to push back against the US president, saying he “will not yield” in his stance over Greenland as he vowed to stand up to Mr Trump over his threats to annexe it.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) on Wednesday, Sir Keir also hit out at the US president’s criticism of the UK’s deal to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, and said his change in stance – calling the deal an act of “great stupidity” – was made expressly to pressure him over Greenland.
In his rambling Davos address, Mr Trump said that the US was “the only country” that could secure the island that he claims is needed for US national security purposes.
“Unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be frankly unstoppable. That is the biggest statement I’ve made. I don’t want to use force, I don’t have to use force, I won’t use force,” he said.
Mr Trump said he was “helping Europe, I’m helping Nato” with his efforts to secure a Ukraine peace deal and urged his allies to change their opposition to a US takeover of Greenland.
He continued: “It’s a very small ask compared to what we have given them for many, many decades. But the problem with Nato is that we’ll be there for them 100 per cent, but I’m not sure that they’d be there for us.”
The US president reiterated his desire to establish a “Golden Dome” of missile defences, a system that Mr Trump proposes would have its outer edge in Greenland.
“All we want from Denmark, for national and international security and to keep our very energetic and dangerous potential enemies at bay, is this land on which we’re going to build the greatest golden dome ever built,” he said.
Taking aim at Europe for “unchecked mass migration”, Mr Trump claimed the continent is importing “entirely different populations from faraway lands”.
He said: “Certain places in Europe are not even recognisable, frankly, anymore. They’re not recognisable. And I love Europe, and I want to see Europe go good, but it’s not heading in the right direction.”
“Between immigration and energy – if they don’t change, bad things will happen to them,” he added.
Mr Trump also appeared to misname Greenland, while making a bizarre comment about being called “daddy”.
“I’m helping Europe. I'm helping Nato, and until the last few days, when I told them about Iceland, they loved me.
“They called me daddy. A very smart man said, ‘He’s our daddy, he’s running it’. But now what I’m asking for is a piece of ice, cold and poorly located,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Sir Keir laid out his position on the US president’s comments on Greenland in the strongest possible terms, telling MPs at PMQs: “I will not yield, Britain will not yield on our principles and values about the future of Greenland under threats of tariffs, and that is my clear position.”
He also called out Mr Trump’s criticism of the UK’s Chagos deal, saying they “were different to his previous words of welcome and support when I met him in the White House”.
“He deployed those words yesterday for the express purpose of putting pressure on me and Britain in relation to my values and principles on the future of Greenland,” Sir Keir said.
“He wants me to yield on my position, and I’m not going to do so.”
The US president has threatened to hit Britain and other European allies with 10 per cent tariffs from 1 February unless they agree to his purchase of Greenland – a threat the prime minister has decried as “completely wrong”.
In a rare moment of disagreement with Mr Trump, whom he considers “a friend”, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called out his comments about Nato, saying Britain has “more than done our bit” for the alliance.
Speaking in Davos following Mr Trump’s speech, Mr Farage said: “He said Nato have never given us anything back. I would object to that politely by saying this: when the decision was made to go into Afghanistan, we went in with America and the coalition of the willing.
“We stayed by America for the whole 20 years, we proportionately spent the same money as America, we lost the same number of lives as America pro rata, and the same applies actually to Denmark and other countries too.
“So it’s not quite fair. Yes, in money terms, America has provided more. In terms of surveillance equipment et cetera, America still provides more, but we have, when it comes to honouring our commitments to America, more than done our bit in terms of action over the last 20 years.”
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