Trump rules out 'use of force' but insists the US must have Greenland

DAVOS (Agencies) - US President Donald Trump said at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday that he would not use force to acquire Greenland and called for immediate negotiations over the future of the autonomous Danish territory.

“We would get nothing unless I used overwhelming strength and force, which would make us unstoppable. But I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” he said.

DISCUSSION ON GREENLAND

Trump’s determination to claim the territory has overshadowed the run-up to the annual gathering of the world’s leading economists, politicians and intellectuals.

“It is only the United States that can protect this vast landmass, this enormous sheet of ice,” Trump added.

“That is why I am seeking immediate negotiations to reopen discussions on the acquisition of Greenland by the United States.”

The 79-year-old also issued a warning to European leaders who have questioned his ambitions.

“You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative, or you can say no, and we will remember,” he said.

He also spoke at length about how he perceived inequalities in the US relationship with Europe and, in particular, with NATO, saying that neither appreciated what the US had done for them.

He said Europe was "not heading in the right direction" and blamed mass migration and a focus on green energy for harming the continent.

He singled out wind turbines for particular criticism saying "stupid people" bought them. "There are windmills all over the place and they are losers. One thing I've noticed is, the more windmills a country has the more money it loses," he said.

'THE LAW OF THE STRONGEST'

Trump arrived by helicopter at the Swiss Alpine resort two hours late after an electrical fault forced his original aircraft to return to Washington so that he could switch planes.

His address came a day after French President Emmanuel Macron used the platform to denounce what he called “the law of the strongest”.

Macron said he preferred “respect rather than bullies” and “the rule of law rather than brutality”, in an implicit response to Trump’s ambitions for Greenland.

In his hour-long speech on Wednesday, Trump touched on subjects ranging from tariffs and economic policies in the United States to trade deals with Switzerland and his disdain for the Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve in the United States.

'CANADA LIVES BECAUSE OF US'

He also ribbed Macron who wore dark glasses to cover an eye infection. "I watched him yesterday with those beautiful sunglasses," said Trump. "What the hell happened? But I watched him sort of be tough."

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney warned at Davos on Tuesday of a rupture to the US-led system, in a speech which won a standing ovation.

But the approval drew Trump's ire. He said Canada should be grateful to Washington.

"Canada lives because of the United States," said Trump. "Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements."

In an attempt to inject calm, NATO chief Mark Rutte told Davos on Wednesday that thoughtful diplomacy was needed.

"There are these tensions at the moment, there's no doubt," said Rutte, who has been dubbed the "Trump whisperer" for his ability to deal with the US president.