Updated January 21, 2026 at 10:03 AM EST
President Trump said Wednesday he is seeking immediate negotiations for the ownership of Greenland but he would not "use force."
"We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won't do that," he said during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"That's probably the biggest statement I made because people thought I would use force, but I don't have to use force, I don't want to use force. I won't use force," he said.
Trump said U.S. ownership of Greenland is necessary for national security and that "who the hell wants to defend a license agreement or release, which is a large piece of ice in the middle of the ocean."
"So we want a piece of ice for world protection, and they won't give it. We've never asked for anything else, and we could have kept that piece of land, and we didn't. So they have a choice. You can say yes and we will be very appreciative, or you can say no and we will remember," Trump said.
Trump's push to acquire Greenland has turned to antagonism toward allies in recent days
Just two weeks ago, President Trump posted on social media that he'd address affordability when he spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
But his belligerent foreign policy is once again overshadowing his attempts at a cohesive economic message. Trump's aggressive push to acquire Greenland has turned to open antagonism toward allies in recent days, becoming a central focus of this year's forum.
Just days before the forum began, Trump on social media threatened to tariff goods from eight European nations and NATO members until they support a U.S. deal to purchase Greenland.
Those countries responded with a statement saying that they stand in solidarity with Denmark and Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Over the weekend, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr also revealed a text conversation in which Trump said that not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize – which the Norwegian government does not confer – is influencing his decision to pursue Greenland.
It also became clear in recent days that other world leaders were seeking to dissuade Trump from attempting to take over Greenland, when Trump Monday night posted screenshots of text messages from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Rutte began his message with flattery, praising Trump's recent strikes in Syria. Rutte added, "I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland."
Macron, for his part, was harsher: "I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland," he wrote, but added that he wanted to get dinner after Davos.
And Trump on Tuesday reposted a social media message that cast the U.N. and NATO as the "real threat" to the U.S., as opposed to China and Russia.
All of this buildup has brought American foreign policy to center stage at Davos. When Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took the stage with Fox Business's Maria Bartiromo yesterday, her first question was about Greenland: "How do you justify taking over a country when in fact Denmark and Greenland have said they're not interested?"
"Greenland's becoming more and more attractive for foreign conquest, and he very strongly believes that it must be part of the US to prevent a conflict," Bessent said as part of his answer.
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday delivered a forceful speech that, without mentioning Trump explicitly, argued that his policies are leading to the breakdown of the international order.
"Let me be direct: We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition," Carney said. "Great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited."
"We stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully support their unique right to determine Greenland's future. Our commitment to NATO's Article 5 is unwavering," he later added. "Canada strongly opposes tariffs over Greenland."
But Trump, speaking at length with reporters Tuesday, seemed to step off the gas slightly when it came to his harsh rhetoric. Asked about how his push for Greenland could result in breaking up NATO, Trump seemed to demur.
"Something's going to happen that's going to be very good for everybody," he said.
The foreign policy Trump is bringing to Davos goes beyond Greenland. On Thursday, he will participate in what the White House is calling a Board of Peace Charter Announcement.
The "Board of Peace" is being created as part of Trump's 20-point plan to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas and has come under sharp criticism. A copy of the charter obtained by NPR said that countries that want permanent membership will have to pay $1 billion, and that Donald Trump is the permanent chair, even after he's president. The charter also says that the world needs a more effective international peace-building body – which may signal the board is hoping to act as a rival to the U.N.
The board's membership is still unsettled, but Trump said he has asked President Vladimir Putin to take part. Meanwhile, Macron has said he will not join the board.
Trump told reporters this week that his main message in Davos will be "how well the United States is doing." Economic advisor Kevin Hassett has said the president will also be revealing a new housing policy.
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