Trump Says He ‘Won’t Use Force’ to Take Greenland

The president demanded negotiations that would end in U.S. “ownership” of the territory.

President Donald Trump addresses the audience during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Evan Vucci/AP

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he “won’t use force” to take Greenland, his clearest reassurance yet during a push that has rattled both U.S. allies and the markets.

But that doesn’t mean he’s giving up on U.S. control of the territory. He said he is “seeking immediate negotiations” to take Greenland from Denmark.

“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable,” Trump said at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “But I won’t do that. … I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”