TORONTO — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States will not use military force to take over Greenland, seeking to defuse concerns that his renewed push for control of the territory could trigger a security crisis among NATO allies.Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump repeatedly emphasized that he did not intend to rely on military power, even as he argued that Greenland was vital to global security and should ultimately fall under U.S. ownership.“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.”.Trump described American military power as overwhelming but said he had no desire to use it, presenting restraint as a deliberate choice rather than a concession. He said the United States was seeking Greenland for “national and international security” reasons and insisted that ownership — not a lease or security arrangement — was necessary to defend the territory.“You need the ownership to defend it. You can’t defend it on a lease,” Trump said. “Who the hell wants to defend a license agreement or a lease?”The president framed his approach as a diplomatic demand rather than a threat, telling the Davos audience that Europe had a choice in how it responded. If allies agreed, he said, the United States would be “very appreciative.” If they did not, he added, Washington would “remember,” though he did not specify what consequences might follow..Trump’s comments came as European leaders and NATO officials have sought reassurance that his Greenland proposal would not escalate into a military confrontation. Denmark, which governs Greenland as an autonomous territory, is a NATO ally, and any use of force would raise profound alliance questions under NATO’s mutual defense clause.By publicly ruling out military action, Trump appeared to be signaling a boundary for his Greenland campaign, even as he continued to press for U.S. control and questioned whether NATO allies would reciprocate American defense commitments.
