In his characteristically belligerent yet conciliatory tone, U.S. President Donald Trump struck a bellicose yet conciliatory tone with European leaders in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, going some way to easing rising transatlantic tensions and stock market jitters over U.S. considerations of acquiring Greenland.
During the nearly 90-minute speech, Trump lectured and intimidated tech executives and government officials in the audience, many of them from Europe, before clarifying that he did not want to use force and ultimately wanted peace. It can be summed up by Trump mocking French President Emmanuel Macron, who seemed unaware of the injury to his eye. “Yesterday I looked at him wearing these nice sunglasses. I said, ‘What the hell is going on?'” Trump later added, “I really like him. I do.”
While the president ruled out using military force to seize the Danish territory of Greenland, he did not abandon his hostile rhetoric while reiterating his controversial claim that he has stopped eight wars around the world. (Trump’s desire for Nobel Peace PrizeHe has insisted on the eight-war figure as a measure of his competitiveness with his predecessor, Barack Obama, but some countries such as India and Pakistan reject it. )
Trump used his much-anticipated speech at the World Economic Forum as a platform to reiterate his criticism of European countries and the United States’ global superpower status, but clarified that he would prefer a peaceful resolution to the Greenland ownership issue, which threatens Greenland’s sovereignty. patella The 76-year-old NATO alliance.
“I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” he said.
Trump’s statement on resolving multiple conflicts appeared first on leaked text messages Over the weekend, the president sent a letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gall Storr, in which he ominously stated that he was no longer obliged to “purely think about peace.” In that message, Trump linked his rhetoric about Greenland to the Nobel Committee’s decision last October not to award him the Peace Prize despite having “stopped eight wars plus.” The Nobel Prize-awarding committee is based in Norway, but the Norwegian government has no say in the distribution of the prizes.
breath of relief in the mountains
The statement eased concerns among some European leaders about a possible military confrontation with the United States and appeared to calm market jitters over the outbreak of a new trade war or the end of the Western alliance.
The market reacted positively after Tuesday’s sharp sell-off. As of late morning, the S&P 500 and Dow Chemical The Jones Industrial Average rose more than 1%, while Nasdaq The composite index rose 1.3%. The 10-year Treasury yield moved lower and the dollar stabilized after falling sharply on Tuesday.
But Trump’s remarks were an olive branch in words, not tone. In a speech that lasted more than an hour, the president reiterated his desire for Greenland, calling the island “that’s our territory” while claiming he had “stopped eight wars.” (India has repeatedly refused Trump claimed he had stopped the war between the two countries, while Pakistan welcomed his involvement and nominated him for a Nobel Prize. )
While Trump has toned down aggressive rhetoric about an imminent military takeover of Greenland, he has made clear to foreign leaders that it is an option and even a favor: “Unless I decide to use excessive force and force, we’re probably not going to get anything, and frankly we’re going to be unstoppable, but I’m not going to do that,” he said.
Trump’s claims have been controversial. While the president did not specify which war he was referring to, the United States has been involved in six ceasefires, although tensions have occasionally flared between the two countries. Israel and Hamas and india and pakistan. He may also be referring to the agreement reached during his first term.
Trump’s decision on Wednesday not to use military force reassured some European officials. Rasmus Jarlov, Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Danish Parliament Tell this new york times He was “not too unhappy” with the president’s remarks.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lok Rasmussen was also encouraged: “It is said that force will not be used, which is positive,” he said tell local reporters Wednesday. “But that doesn’t make this case go away,” he added.
While Trump reiterated his desire for a peaceful solution in his speech, he challenged European leaders to continue to oppose him.
“You can say yes and we’ll appreciate it, or you can say no and we’ll remember it,” he said.