Donald Trump is set to address European leaders in Switzerland as he continues to escalate his campaign to bring Greenland under US control, refusing once again to rule out the use of military force against territory belonging to a NATO ally.
Speaking at a lengthy and unstructured White House press conference marking one year since returning to office, the US president responded “you’ll find out” when asked how far he was prepared to go to secure the Arctic island. He later reinforced his position on social media, writing that there was “no going back” and that Greenland was “imperative” for US and global security.
The remarks come amid the most acute strain in US–European relations in decades, driven by Washington’s overt challenge to Danish sovereignty and the broader principles underpinning the NATO alliance. Trump is expected to use the World Economic Forum in Davos as a venue for direct engagement with European leaders, telling reporters that there were “a lot of meetings scheduled” focused on Greenland.
His journey to Switzerland was briefly disrupted when Air Force One turned back shortly after take-off due to a minor electrical issue, though the White House said he would continue to Davos on another aircraft.
NATO cohesion under pressure
Trump’s insistence that the United States “needs” Greenland for national and world security has triggered sharp resistance across Europe and Canada. Leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have publicly defended Greenland and Denmark, warning against the normalisation of territorial coercion among allies.
At Davos, Macron cautioned against what he described as a drift towards “a world without rules”, while Carney said the post-war international order was not returning. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU stood in “full solidarity” with Greenland and Denmark, stressing that their sovereignty was “non-negotiable” and calling proposed US tariffs “a mistake”.
Trump, however, has framed European pushback as provocation. He has threatened tariffs of 10% from 1 February — rising to 25% from June — on goods from countries opposing the takeover, and earlier floated a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne amid broader disputes with Paris.
Pressed on whether pursuing Greenland could fracture NATO, Trump insisted the alliance would ultimately support US aims, while also questioning whether allies would come to Washington’s aid if required. NATO’s core Article 5 commitment — that an attack on one member is an attack on all — has been repeatedly reaffirmed by European and Canadian leaders in response.
Trade threats and strategic fallout
Beyond security concerns, the dispute is increasingly spilling into trade and institutional relations. EU officials are weighing retaliatory measures, including use of the bloc’s anti-coercion instrument, while sources say the European Parliament may suspend approval of a recently agreed US trade deal, signalling a further escalation.
Greenland itself has rejected Trump’s approach outright. The territory’s Minister of Industry and Natural Resources, Naaja Nathanielsen, said Greenlanders were “bewildered” by Washington’s demands, stressing that the island did not wish to become American and questioning what value the US placed on Greenlandic culture and self-determination.
Despite mounting opposition, Trump has maintained that an accommodation can be reached. “I think things are going to work out pretty well,” he said ahead of the Davos meetings, projecting confidence that both NATO and the United States would ultimately be “very happy”.
For now, European leaders remain unconvinced — and increasingly wary that what began as a provocative demand is evolving into a defining test of alliance credibility, rule-based order and the limits of power politics among longstanding partners.
