Trump Justifies Greenland Annexation Bid in Davos

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Davos
• Jan 22, 2026
• 547

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his controversial plan to annex Greenland, claiming at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos that no country other than the United States is capable of protecting the strategically located island.
For the first time, Trump said the US would not use military force to acquire Greenland, but sharply criticised Denmark for opposing the move, calling it “ungrateful.” Referring to Greenland dismissively as “a piece of ice,” Trump said Europe was unwilling to hand it over and warned that “America will always remember this.” He also asserted that Europe was heading in the “wrong direction” economically and politically.
Trump targeted several other countries during his address. He said Canada “functions because of America” and should be grateful for US support. He also criticised France and used derogatory language while referring to people from Somalia, drawing international condemnation.
On foreign policy, Trump expressed doubts over whether NATO would support the US in a crisis, despite America’s long-standing commitments to the alliance. He further stated that Europe should take greater responsibility for the Russia-Ukraine war, arguing that the US has spent billions of dollars despite being geographically distant from the conflict.
Trump also spoke about Venezuela, claiming that a major oil agreement involving 50 million barrels had been reached and that US oil companies would soon expand operations there.
Following the speech, the European Parliament’s Trade Committee postponed voting on an EU-US trade agreement, according to committee chairman Bernd Lange. It remains unclear whether the entire deal will be suspended or only certain provisions delayed.
Speaking separately to Indian media, Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “friend,” and said India and the United States were likely to reach a “good trade agreement” soon.