European officials express relief at Trump’s decision not to use military force to take Greenland, while acknowledging his administration’s persistent ‘contempt’ for Europe.
European Officials React
“We are relieved that opposing Donald Trump can yield results,” stated one European official present at Trump’s speech to Politico. “Of course, we feel relief that he is abandoning the use of military force, but we are also aware that he might change his mind.”
The official emphasized that European leaders “will have to continue to show determination and greater independence, because we can no longer cling to the illusion that America is still what we thought it was.”
According to the Politico source, Trump’s “contempt” for Europe remains unchanged, and his abandonment of military force cannot undo the damage already done – NATO leaders and other allies have stopped considering the United States an ally.
Internal American Doubts
According to one Politico informant, the potential use of military force by Donald Trump against Greenland “could have met resistance from his closest allies, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance.”
“Do some high-ranking administration officials talk to their best friends in the conservative world and media and basically say: ‘Yes, I don’t know why we’re doing this’? Sure, but I think this is all happening in confidence,” stated a person from the US administration.
Trump’s Greenland Stance
On Wednesday during a speech in Davos, US President Donald Trump announced that he would not use military force to take over Greenland. The politician stated, however, that the United States wants to acquire the island and called on European leaders to hand it over.
After meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Donald Trump said that Western allies could reach an agreement on the Arctic that would enable the implementation of his plans to build a missile defense system called “Golden Dome,” regulate access to minerals, while simultaneously blocking the ambitions of Russia and China.
