By Ayo Kehinde
United States President, Donald Trump, has ruled out the use of military force to acquire Greenland, saying diplomacy remains his preferred option despite earlier remarks that had raised concerns among European leaders.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Trump stated that the United States would be “unstoppable” in any armed conflict over the Arctic island, but emphasised that he neither wanted nor intended to pursue such a path.
“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”, Trump told world leaders, adding that diplomacy remained the best route to resolving strategic disagreements.
His comments came amid renewed controversy over his recent demand that the United States take over Greenland “the easy way or the hard way”, a statement that partly overshadowed discussions at the global forum.
WEF organisers said more than 3,000 delegates from over 130 countries, including 64 heads of state and government, are attending this year’s meeting, with strong participation from emerging economies.
Reacting to Trump’s remarks, French President Emmanuel Macron said France preferred “respect to bullies” and rejected what he described as “unacceptable” tariffs, following threats of levies on countries opposing Washington’s stance on Greenland.
The comments sparked renewed diplomatic debate at the forum, with several leaders calling for restraint, dialogue and adherence to international law in resolving geopolitical disputes.
