The US president may have mixed up his Icelands with his Greenlands but there was no doubting his determination as he used the Davos platform to reiterate his desires to acquire the autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. 

There was plenty of other targets in his one hour speech at the annual World Economic Forum annual meeting in Switzerland with French President Emmanuel Macron and Britain also in the firing line. Even 'windmills' got a taste of his vitriol.

Trump arrived on Wednesday having caused a political storm over his moves for Greenland described as imperalistic by some ouraged critics and Macron warning against US attempts to "subordinate Europe", calling tariff threats to eight European nations "unacceptable."      

With some suggesting an invasion could mean the end of NATO, Trump said: "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.

"People thought I would use force, but I don't have to use force. I don't want to use force. I won't use force."

Calling Denmark "ungrateful," the Republican US president played down the issue as a "small ask" over a "piece of ice" and that an acquisition would be no threat to the NATO alliance, which includes Denmark and the United States.

"No nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the United States," Trump said, adding: "I'm seeking immediate negotiations to once again to discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States."

NATO leaders have warned Trump's Greenland strategy could upend the alliance, while the leaders of Denmark and Greenland have offered a wide array of ways for a greater US presence on the strategic island territory of 57,000 people.

"We want a piece of ice for world protection, and they won't give it," Trump said.

What other topics did Trump cover?

UKRAINE CONFLICT

"It's a very difficult balance. It's a bloodbath, it's horrible what's happening, it's a drone war. We have to get it stopped.

"I believe we're at a point where they can come together and make a deal. And if they don't, they're stupid。 I don't want to insult anyone, but you have to get this deal done."

"The war with Ukraine is an example. We are thousands of miles away, separated by a giant ocean. It's a war that should've never started, and it wouldn't have started if the 2020 presidential election weren't rigged. It was a rigged election. Everyone now knows that." 

MACRON'S SUNGLASSES

Trump's thoughts on French President Emmanuel Macron for the aviator sunglasses he was wearing during his own speech at Davos on Tuesday.

"I watched him yesterday, with those beautiful sunglasses. What the hell happened?"

Macron's office stated the sunglasses were to protect his eyes because of a burst blood vessel.

WINDMILLS AND ENERGY

"Windmills all over Europe, windmills all over the place. They're destroying your land, these beautiful places."

"You're supposed to make money with energy, not lose money. Here in Europe, we see the fate that the 'radical left' tried to impose on America. Germany now generates 22 percent less electricity than it did in 2017.

"The United Kingdom is sitting atop the North Sea - one of the greatest energy reserves anywhere in the world - but they don't use it."

Trump also said "I haven't found any windmills in China" – whereas a May 2025 report by the US Energy Information Administration said that in 224 alone, China added 76 gigawatts of wind energy, along with a chart showing that 16 percent of all electric generation in China comes from wind. 

ON DAVOS

"Many in this room are true pioneers. Truly brilliant people. You're ability to get a ticket is brilliant. Because you have about 50 people for every seat. You're the greatest brains anywhere in the world.

"The future is unlimited and in large part because of you. And we have to protect you and we have to cherish you. We have to cherish our brilliant people because there aren't any of them.

"Let us lift our people, grow our economies, defend our shared destiny and build a future for our citizens that is more ambitious, more exciting, more inspiring and greater than the world has ever seen. We're in a position to do things that nobody ever thought of before."

GREENLAND – OR RATHER 'ICELAND'

More than once, Trump appeared to mix up Greenland with Iceland. On one occasion, he said NATO appreciated his assistance: "I'm helping Europe, I'm helping NATO. And until the last few days when I told them about Iceland, they loved me."

He also and to Iceland three times within seconds when discussing NATO and the stock market.

"I don't know that they'd (NATO) be there for us. They're not there for us on Iceland. That I can tell you. The stock market took the first dip yesterday because of Iceland. So Iceland's already cost us a lot of money, but that dip is peanuts compared to what it's gone up."

SPEAKING GERMAN

Trump lauded the US's military intervention in World War II, saying "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." Davos is in Switzerland, and German is one of Switzerland's official languages.