The president's address elicited tense reactions among European allies. Although Trump began by mentioning the economic achievements of the United States, he focused primarily on the issue of Greenland, as well as criticizing NATO and Europe.
Negotiations on Greenland President Trump expressed his intention to initiate negotiations for the acquisition of Greenland. He reminded that attempts to buy this island have been made by American leaders for nearly two centuries, and during World War II, the U.S. controlled this territory after the occupation of Denmark.
According to him, he does not intend to use force but believes that the security of Greenland should be ensured by Washington. Addressing the island's residents, he stated: "You can say 'yes,' and we will be very grateful, or say 'no,' and we will remember that." Trump characterized Greenland as "a small request" compared to the U.S. contribution to NATO.
Threats of tariffs and criticism of Europe Trump harshly criticized European leaders, pointing out that Europe is going "the wrong way." He highlighted issues such as mass migration and deficits in budgets and trade.
The president also threatened to impose tariffs on goods from eight NATO countries, including the UK and France, if an agreement on Greenland is not reached. He noted that tariffs could start at 10% on February 1 and rise to 25% by June. Additionally, he mentioned the possibility of imposing a 200% tariff on French wine after Emmanuel Macron refused to support his initiative regarding Gaza.
Trump emphasized that the U.S. is no longer willing to "subsidize the whole world."
Issues of NATO and Ukraine In the context of NATO, Trump stated that the U.S. bears a disproportionate burden and expressed doubt that European allies would reciprocate: "The U.S. will be 100% with NATO, but I'm not sure they will reciprocate."
He also announced plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the forum, claiming that both Zelensky and Vladimir Putin are interested in reaching a peace deal.
Relations with China and protests in Minnesota Trump confirmed his good relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling him "an incredible person," and noted that he stopped using the term "Chinese virus" at the request of the Chinese leader.
During the Q&A session, Trump commented on the protests in Minnesota, calling the participants "rioters" and claiming that the protests were allegedly organized by "agitators." He stated that the administration intends to investigate possible fraud with federal funding in the state.
The protests began after the incident on January 7, when an ICE officer shot 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Reni Nicole Good. Later, on January 14, another federal agent shot Venezuelan Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during an attempted arrest.
