U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, cited America’s World War II contributions to argue that the United States deserves credit for saving Europe from Axis occupation and used that history to renew his call for negotiations to acquire Greenland from Denmark.
In remarks that focused on NATO spending, European security and Arctic strategy, Trump described Denmark’s quick defeat by Germany in 1940 and the subsequent U.S. decision to secure Greenland.
“The United States was then compelled — we did it, we felt an obligation to do it — to send our own forces to hold the Greenland territory, and hold it we did, at great cost and expense,” Trump said. “They didn’t have a chance of getting on it, and they tried. Denmark knows that.”
He continued: “We literally set up bases on Greenland for Denmark. We fought for Denmark. We weren’t fighting for anyone else. We were fighting to save it for Denmark, big, beautiful piece of ice. It’s hard to call it land. It’s a big piece of ice. But we saved Greenland and successfully prevented our enemies from gaining a foothold in our hemisphere, so we did it for ourselves also.”
Trump then addressed the postwar period directly: “And then after the war, which we won, we won it big. Without us right now, you’d all be speaking German and a little Japanese perhaps. After the war we gave Greenland back to Denmark. How stupid were we to do that? But we did it. But we gave it back. But how ungrateful are they now?”
TRUMP: "Without us, right now you'd all be speaking German and a little Japanese.”
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) January 21, 2026
pic.twitter.com/T5YIa0pCnK
The president argued that today’s threats — including missiles, nuclear weapons and advanced systems — make Greenland’s strategic position between the United States, Russia and China far more critical than in 1945. “Greenland is a vast, almost entirely uninhabited and undeveloped territory sitting undefended in a key strategic location between the United States, Russia, and China. That’s exactly where it is, right smack in the middle,” he said.
He rejected minerals as the main motivation: “Everyone talks about the minerals. There’s so much rare earth… But that’s not the reason we need it. We need it for strategic national security and international security.”
Trump stated that “no nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the United States” and called for “immediate negotiations” to obtain “right, title and ownership.” He said a lease arrangement would be insufficient for defense, citing legal and psychological barriers.
On the use of force, Trump was explicit: “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won’t do that… I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”
He tied the issue to NATO, claiming his administration had driven allies to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. Addressing NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, whom he said was present, Trump added: “They never go up higher than 2%. But they went to 5% and now they’re paying the 5%. They didn’t pay the 2% and now they’re paying the 5%, and they’re stronger for it.”
Trump also referenced recent U.S. military action in Venezuela as evidence of American capability and described plans for a $1.5 trillion defense budget, including the revival of battleships he said would be “100 times more powerful” than World War II-era vessels such as the Missouri, Iowa and Alabama.
Danish and Greenlandic authorities have consistently stated that Greenland is not for sale and that any decision about its future belongs to its people. Greenland’s government has emphasized self-determination, and Denmark has maintained that the island remains under Danish sovereignty with wide autonomy.
