On January 21st at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a speech lashing out at European allies.
He criticized America's European allies as arrogant, questionably loyal, and insufficiently grateful.
During the nearly hour-long speech, Trump railed against Europe's immigration and green energy policies, stating that Europe is not headed in the right direction and that some places have become unrecognizable—a change he described as negative, rather than positive.
No Use of Force to Seize Greenland
Trump once again defended his attempt to acquire Greenland, describing it as a core matter of U.S. national security interests.
He said, “People thought I would use force, but I have no need, no desire, and I will not use force to seize this Danish autonomous territory.”
He continued, “Other than the United States, there is no country or bloc capable of safeguarding Greenland’s security. I am seeking to open immediate negotiations and to once again discuss the United States’ acquisition of Greenland.”
He issued a direct message to Denmark and Europe: “You can agree, and we’ll be very grateful; or, you can refuse, and we’ll remember.”
During the hour-plus speech, Trump repeatedly and incorrectly referred to Greenland as Iceland. However, the White House later rebuffed this on social media platform X, emphasizing that Trump was trying to illustrate Greenland as “a chunk of ice.”
Securing 50 Million Barrels of Oil from Venezuela
Meanwhile, Trump said, “Last week we secured 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela.”
He stated, “After the attack ended, the other side said, ‘Let’s make a deal.’ More people should do this. In the next six months, Venezuela’s income will exceed the total of the past 20 years.”
Additionally, during the Q&A session, Trump declined to specify what kind of agreement he envisioned with Denmark regarding Greenland’s future status.
He repeatedly claimed that the United States returned Greenland to Denmark after World War II, but that Denmark was ungrateful.
Speaking about NATO, Trump asserted that the U.S. “acquisition” of Greenland would not threaten NATO, but would instead greatly enhance the security of the entire alliance.
He argued that the United States is treated very unfairly by NATO, giving so much to the alliance yet getting nothing in return, and questioned whether NATO would truly defend the U.S. if needed.
Advising Stockpiling Five Days of Emergency Supplies
Greenland’s self-government issued an emergency manual, urging citizens to prepare for possible emergencies by stockpiling at least five days' worth of essential supplies for each household.
On the 21st, Greenland’s Minister for Fisheries, Hunting, Agriculture and Sustainable Affairs, Borg, stated at a press conference that the government had published an emergency manual that recommends storing three liters of water per person per day, five days’ worth of food, and necessities such as toilet paper.
The emergency manual also includes “hunting weapons, ammunition, and fishing gear” in the recommended list of supplies.
Borg stressed: “Preparations are not alarmist, but a matter of being prudent.”