Addressing world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, US President Trump called for immediate negotiations on the purchase of Greenland. In an offensive and at times aggressive speech, the US president praised the United States as a country “without which the world would be nothing” and repeatedly insulted Europe, his predecessors in the post, media, and host Switzerland.
Self-praise regarding low interest rates on American credit cards, attacks on the “terrible president” Joe Biden, and repeated emphasis on the need to acquire Greenland for the US “to save the West” in the same minute. US President Donald Trump’s speech to world leaders and businessmen in Davos jumped from one topic to another.
“We would remember your ’No’ on Greenland”
There were eager anticipation—not just among the Europeans—as to how Mr Trump would comment on the US’s recent efforts to acquire Greenland. The world’s largest island is currently an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark. At least on this point, Trump’s speech brought some relief to Europeans: Though the US President has repeated multiple times a baseless claim that the United States “returned” Greenland to Denmark after World War II, he also ruled out using force to achieve this goal.
You can say ’yes’ and we will appreciate that. You can also say ’no’, and we will remeber. – US President Donald Trump in Davos on Greenland
Immediately afterwards, a hidden threat emerged. “We in the United States have done so much for you (Europeans), and all what I now want from you is a piece of ice (…) You can say ’yes’ and we will appreciate that. You can also say ’no’, and we will remeber,” stated Mr Trump without elaborating what ’remeber’ may mean.
President Trump returned to the topic of Greenland, which he described as territory of “extreme strategic importance”, many times in his speech. This was happening between declamations about criminal migrant gangs, from whom he allegedly liberated the US, and insults directed at the heads of nominal US allies.
Europeans labelled ’weak and ungrateful’
In addition to Greenland, Mr Trump’s speech repeatedly touched on the theme of the greatness of the United States, which he cast in the role of savior of the world. “Without the United States, many countries in the world would not have anything,” the US President said. He reminded the audience that it was the United States that saved Europe and the world during World War II. “Without us, you would all be speaking German and maybe a bit of Japanese,” Mr Trump said.
On Europe, Mr Trump mentioned his Scottish and German heritage within family. Other than that, however, he did not offer many kind words for Europeans. “They (Europeans) have to get out of the culture that they have created over the last ten years (…) It is horrible what they are doing to themselves. They are destroying themselves. We want strong allies, not seriously weakened ones,” Mr Trump said.
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The US President also mentioned several times that other nations, including Europeans, are not enough grateful to the United States. He did not even spare Switzerland, where the conference is being held. “Without the United States, there would be no Switzerland any more (…) They would be destroyed,” Mr Tump said.
