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Brussels: US President Donald Trump has ruled out using force to seize Greenland after months of leaving the option on the table in his row with European leaders over the territory, adjusting his stance amid fears of a trade war over the dispute.
Trump repeated his demand for ownership of Greenland in a major address in Switzerland on Wednesday (early Thursday, AEDT) and warned that America would “remember” if it did not get the island, but he made his first clear statement about not using force to get his way.
“I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” he said.
Trump made the statement during an address to about 1000 delegates at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss town of Davos, and he highlighted the importance of his remarks in a sign that he knew he had clarified a key concern among political and business leaders.
In a long and sometimes rambling address, the US President criticised Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney over his speech yesterday about the need to stand up to major powers, and he also carped about French President Emmanuel Macron over pharmaceutical trade.
Trump complained that the US had defended Europe during the Second World War and kept Greenland from falling into enemy hands, but chose to return the territory to Denmark at the end of the conflict – a decision he called a mistake.
“We never asked for anything and we never got anything,” he 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. OK? Now everyone’s saying: ‘Oh, good’. That’s probably the biggest statement I made, because 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.”
It is the first time Trump has ruled out using force, having previously been vague about how far he is willing to go in his push.
The president said the U.S. “probably won’t get anything” unless he decided to “use excessive strength and force” that he said would make the US “frankly unstoppable.”
“But I won’t do that. Okay?” Trump said.
More to come
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