- US President Trump said US will remember if Greenland bid is rejected at Davos forum
- He stated Greenland is needed for strategic security, not rare earth minerals
- Trump ruled out using force to acquire Greenland but urged immediate talks
Amid tensions with NATO allies over his push to acquire Greenland, US President Donald Trump said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Washington would "remember" if its bid to take over the island-region is rejected.
"You can say yes, and we'll be very appreciative, or you can say no and we will remember... A strong and secure America means a strong NATO," Trump said during his speech on Wednesday.
The US needs Greenland for "strategic security", and not for mining rare earth minerals. The "giant piece of ice" is needed to secure world peace, and protect "our hemisphere" from any potential threats.
"We don't need it for rare earth, we need it for strategic national security. American presidents have sought to purchase Greenland for nearly two centuries. It's much more necessary now than it was back then. It's the US alone that can protect this giant piece of ice," Trump said.
The US president, however, ruled out using force to acquire Greenland. "I don't have to use force, I don't want to use force, I won't use force," Trump said, amid fears of the US launching a military operation to forcefully take control of Greenland from Denmark. But "immediate negotiations" should be initiated to address the US demand, he told the gathering in Davos.
Trump also warned Europe that "it is not heading into the right direction", adding that various parts of the continent have turned unrecognisable due to "unchecked mass migration". Several policies adopted by the European nations have turned them "weak", Trump said, adding that he needs "strong allies and not seriously weak ones".
ALSO READ: Key Highlights From Trump's Davos Address
Trump's address at the WEF comes at a time when frictions have emerged between the US and its NATO allies. The US president's push to acquire Greenland has been met with resistance by most of the western European countries.
The tensions escalated over the weekend, when Trump threatened to impose 10% tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands from Feb. 1, if they do not support his bid to take control of Greenland. The tariffs would rise to 25% from June 1, he warned in a social media post on Saturday.
Trump, in his WEF speech, said that America's ties with NATO have been lopsided in favour of the latter. Washington has been there for its military allies "100%", but the same cannot be said of NATO, he said, apparently brushing off the coalition's role in the "war against terror" launched after 9/11 terror attacks.
"We give so much and we get so little in return... They don't appreciate what we do. I'm talking about NATO and Europe," Trump said.
Watch LIVE TV, Get Stock Market Updates, Top Business, IPO and Latest News on NDTV Profit.