US President Donald Trump took centre stage at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos on Wednesday, delivering a speech closely watched by global leaders, corporate executives, and policymakers.
Trump asserted he would not use force to acquire Greenland, marking his clearest statement yet ruling out military action even as he pressed for US control of the Arctic island during an address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable,” Trump said. “But I won’t do that. Okay. Now everyone says, oh, good.”
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- Trump said his remarks were aimed at addressing speculation over the possible use of military power. “That’s probably the biggest statement I made, because people thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” he said.
- Trump said he was seeking immediate negotiations to revisit the possible acquisition of Greenland, stressing that the move should be viewed through the lens of global security rather than territorial ambition.
- “It’s the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land,” he said, adding that bringing Greenland under US control would “greatly enhance the security of the entire alliance” and would not pose a threat to NATO.
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Trump said Washington gives far more to the Nato alliance than it receives in return, while bearing a significant share of the burden for collective security. In that context, he defended his renewed push for discussions on Greenland.
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Highlighting Greenland’s geography, Trump described the territory as largely undeveloped and sparsely populated, yet critically located between the United States, Russia and China. He argued that the island currently sits “undefended” despite its strategic importance in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.
.@POTUS: Greenland is a vast, almost entirely uninhabited and undeveloped territory. It is sitting undefended in a key strategic location between the U.S., Russia, and China.
This enormous unsecured island is actually part of North America — on the northern frontier of the… pic.twitter.com/2Y7OiU4CeM
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 21, 2026
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Trump further framed Greenland as a natural extension of US security interests, noting its location on what he called the northern frontier of the Western Hemisphere. He said preventing external powers from gaining a foothold in the region has long been a core element of American policy.
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In his remarks, Trump also criticised Denmark, which currently controls Greenland, accusing it of being ungrateful for US security support while failing to adequately defend the territory.
- Trump declared that American economic strength had far-reaching consequences beyond its borders. “The USA is the economic engine on the planet — and when America booms, the entire world booms,” he said, framing US prosperity as a catalyst for global stability and expansion.
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- Opening his address, Trump highlighted what he described as the strong performance of the US economy. He pointed to robust growth, resilience, and renewed domestic confidence as key achievements, framing them as the result of policies focused on American industry, jobs, and competitiveness.
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Trump also outlined what he described as sweeping reforms to the US federal government over a 12-month period. He said his administration had removed more than 270,000 bureaucrats from the federal payroll, cut government spending by $100 billion and reduced the federal budget deficit by 27%.
- Earlier, US President Trump arrived in Switzerland ahead of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
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- Trump landed in Zurich after an unexpected disruption to his travel plans. Air Force One was forced to turn back mid-journey due to what officials described as a “minor electrical issue,” prompting the president to board a different aircraft to complete the trip.
