U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, explicitly ruling out the use of military force to seize Greenland for the first time, while simultaneously reinforcing the sovereignty claims over the Danish autonomous territory, elevating its status to a &#34;core national security interest.&#34; After Trump pressured European allies for several days, his denial of using force to &#34;seize the island&#34; alleviated some investor concerns, leading to a rebound in U.S. stocks that had plummeted on Tuesday.
According to Xinhua News Agency, Trump stated during his speech on Wednesday, January 21, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that Greenland is a &#34;core national security interest&#34; for the United States. He indicated that he is seeking to initiate negotiations for the acquisition of Greenland immediately. He emphasized, &#34;No other country besides the United States has the capability to control Greenland.&#34;
CCTV reported that Trump described Greenland as a territory &#34;situated in a critical strategic position between the United States, Russia, and China,&#34; which is vital for deploying its &#34;Golden Dome&#34; missile defense system.
Trump issued an ultimatum to Europe: &#34;You can agree, and we will be very grateful; you can also say no, and we will remember.&#34; He referred to this request as a &#34;small request,&#34; as it is insignificant compared to the defense the U.S. has provided to NATO for decades, and called Greenland &#34;a cold and remote ice sheet.&#34; Trump hinted that he would consider Europe's response to the Greenland issue when evaluating the U.S. commitment to NATO in the future.
U.S. stocks rebounded immediately after Trump ruled out the use of force, with all three major U.S. stock indices opening higher, each rising over 1% in early trading. The previous day, U.S. stocks had plummeted, with all three major indices recording their largest declines in three months, with the S&amp;P and Nasdaq dropping over 2% and the Dow falling nearly 1.8%. Trump's increasingly aggressive stance on Greenland was a contributing factor. However, Trump expressed optimism during his speech on Wednesday, predicting that U.S. stocks would double in the future, stating that Tuesday's decline was &#34;insignificant&#34; compared to previous gains.
<h2>First Clear Commitment Not to Use Force but Increased Political Pressure</h2>
Trump publicly committed for the first time not to use military force against Greenland. He said:
<blockquote>
&#34;I will not do that. People think I will use force. I don't have to use force, I don't want to use force, I won't use force.&#34;
</blockquote>
He then added, &#34;This may be the most significant statement I have made because people think I will use force.&#34;
Trump acknowledged, &#34;We may get nothing unless I decide to use excessive force, then we would be unstoppable. But I will not do that.&#34;
Despite ruling out military options, Trump still exerted strong pressure on NATO and Europe. According to Xinhua News Agency, Trump stated, &#34;The U.S. has been treated unfairly by NATO,&#34; claiming, &#34;We have never asked NATO for anything, and we have never received anything from NATO.&#34; He even questioned, &#34;If the U.S. is attacked, I am not sure NATO would provide help.&#34;
In subsequent discussions, Trump avoided questions about what kind of deal might be reached regarding Greenland's future, instead criticizing Denmark for the high costs of managing the territory and reiterating his dissatisfaction with NATO. He argued that it is unrealistic to protect territories not under U.S. control: &#34;Who would want to defend a license agreement or lease? You need ownership to defend it.&#34;
<h2>Criticism of European Policies and Allied Leaders</h2>
In his speech, Trump harshly criticized Europe's liberal democratic systems, government policies, and the effectiveness of NATO. He stated, &#34;I love Europe, I want to see Europe do well, but it's heading in the wrong direction.&#34;
Trump criticized Europe for &#34;veering off course&#34; on green transformation and immigration policies, claiming that &#34;parts of Europe have become unrecognizable.&#34;
He specifically criticized individual leaders such as Canadian Prime Minister-designate Carney and French President Macron. Trump told Carney, &#34;Canada exists because of the United States, remember that, Carney.&#34;
Nevertheless, Trump expressed support for German Chancellor Merz's work and emphasized that the U.S. needs &#34;strong allies, not weakened ones.&#34; He said, &#34;Countries in Europe, Japan, and South Korea are partners of the United States. What we want are strong allies, not severely weakened ones.&#34;
Trump also cited U.S. support for Ukraine as an example of the inequality in transatlantic relations: &#34;The U.S. is far away. We have a beautiful ocean separating us. We have nothing to do with this.&#34; He stated that the burden of supporting Kyiv should fall on Europe. Trump promised that the U.S. would continue to support Ukraine and mentioned that he would meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky that day.
<h2>Possible Changes in Behavior of New Federal Reserve Chair After Taking Office, but Must Do the Right Thing</h2>
Trump reignited speculation about the leadership of U.S. monetary policy in Davos, stating that he would announce a nomination for a new Federal Reserve Chair &#34;in the near future,&#34; calling current Federal Reserve Chair Powell &#34;terrible.&#34;
Discussing the selection process for the Federal Reserve Chair, Trump noted that while all candidates performed well during interviews, he pointed out, &#34;It's surprising how people change their behavior once they take office. To some extent, it's a betrayal, which is really bad, but they must do what they think is right.&#34;
He revealed that the next Federal Reserve Chair will be a man, &#34;who will be a respected person.&#34; Trump stated that he and Treasury Secretary Basant had &#34;great interviews with every Federal Reserve Chair candidate.&#34;
<h2>Claims Victory Over Inflation and Predicts 5.4% Economic Growth in Q4</h2>
During his speech at the Davos Forum, Trump claimed that the U.S. has &#34;defeated inflation,&#34; with the core inflation rate stabilizing at 1.5%. He predicted that the core inflation rate for the U.S. in the fourth quarter would be 1.6%, with economic growth reaching 5.4%, which he claimed is double the forecast of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Trump attributed the economic performance to his policies, emphasizing measures aimed at improving living standards, including firing government employees, cutting federal spending, and promoting the return of manufacturing. He cited data showing that the monthly trade deficit has been reduced by 77%, factory construction has increased by 41%, domestic steel production has expanded, oil production has increased by 730,000 barrels per day, and natural gas production has reached record levels.
He stated, &#34;Growth does not mean inflation; it can combat inflation. Reasonable growth can fight inflation.&#34; When discussing national debt, he claimed, &#34;Economic growth is the way out. Cutting spending is also key, and tariffs will help repay the debt. The U.S. will repay its debt.&#34;
Regarding concerns about an economic recession, Trump claimed, &#34;Some unexpected things will happen. What we can prevent is war. We may usher in a unique economy (different from other economies).&#34;
White House economic advisor Hassett later stated that the U.S. could see two consecutive quarters of economic growth exceeding 5%.
<h2>Expected Doubling of U.S. Stocks, Emphasis on Nuclear Energy</h2>
Trump downplayed the impact of the recent pullback in U.S. stocks, stating that the recent decline in the stock market is &#34;insignificant&#34; compared to previous gains, and predicted that the stock market will &#34;double&#34; in the future. When commenting on the reasons for the stock market decline, he mentioned &#34;Iceland,&#34; though it is unclear if this was a slip of the tongue for &#34;Greenland.&#34;
Trump stated that in the past, good economic data would &#34;boost the stock market as it should,&#34; but now, even with positive data, the stock market often declines. He emphasized that the recent weakness has not changed his overall optimistic outlook on the U.S. market.
Trump praised the work of U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Ross, and commended BlackRock CEO Fink.
On energy policy, Trump clearly positioned nuclear energy as the core of U.S. energy development. He said, &#34;We are very focused on the nuclear energy sector,&#34; stating that the U.S. is &#34;vigorously developing&#34; nuclear energy and has signed directives to approve multiple nuclear reactors.
Trump stated that nuclear power is &#34;safe and affordable,&#34; positioning it as a key pillar for future growth. He predicted that gasoline prices would soon fall below $2 per gallon, while again criticizing wind power plants.
After Trump emphasized the strategic importance of nuclear power, nuclear energy stocks saw a rise on Wednesday morning. NuScale Power, Nano Nuclear Energy, and Oklo, supported by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, all rose over 10% in early trading but turned negative by midday.
<h2>Housing, Credit Card Rates, and Domestic Policy</h2>
Trump stated that the U.S. will not &#34;become a nation of renters.&#34; He announced a series of measures to address housing affordability issues, including signing an executive order to restrict institutional home purchases. He said, &#34;Homeownership has always been a symbol of health and vitality in American society, but under Biden, this goal has become unattainable for millions because interest rates have risen too high.&#34;
He acknowledged that his housing plan would pose challenges to Wall Street banks and institutional investors: &#34;Many of you are here. Many of you are my good friends. Many of you are supporters. I'm sorry to do this. I am very sorry, but you have driven up housing prices by purchasing hundreds of single-family homes.&#34;
Trump stated he would ask Congress to make this ban permanent and seek legislation to cap credit card interest rates at 10% for one year. He reiterated in Davos, &#34;Credit card companies' profit margins are now over 50%, among the highest, while they charge Americans 28%, 30%, 31%, 32% interest rates. We should be paying lower rates.&#34;
Trump called the surge in credit card debt &#34;one of the biggest obstacles to saving for a down payment&#34;: &#34;This will help millions of Americans save for home purchases. They don’t realize they are paying 28%; if they are slightly late on payments, they ultimately lose their homes.&#34;
However, JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon previously stated at Davos that this measure would bring &#34;economic disaster&#34; to the United States.
<h2>Middle East and Venezuela Statements</h2>
Trump stated at Davos that if Hamas does not agree to peace, they will be &#34;swiftly destroyed.&#34; He said, &#34;If Hamas does not agree to peace, it will be completely eliminated.&#34;
He added that there are issues with Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying, &#34;We will see what happens there.&#34; Despite the &#34;small flames,&#34; he described the overall peace in the Middle East.
Regarding Venezuela, Trump announced that all major oil companies will enter Venezuela, and the U.S. will &#34;share&#34; oil revenues with the Venezuelan side, claiming that the related enterprises' &#34;earnings in the next six months will exceed the past twenty years.&#34;
Trump reiterated the attempt to combat drug trafficking through ground military action and stated that tariffs would be imposed on Sweden &#34;and all countries in conflict with the United States.&#34;
Denmark has yet to respond to Trump's latest remarks. According to CCTV News, Denmark is currently formulating plans to send up to 1,000 combat soldiers to Greenland by 2026. About 150 soldiers have already arrived in Konkrusvag, with a similar number stationed in Nuuk

Trump stated that the United States has been treated unfairly by NATO; Europe has deviated from its direction in green transformation and immigration policies, with some regions becoming "unrecognizable"; the U.S. needs "strong allies rather than weakened ones"; he will nominate a new Federal Reserve chairman "in the near future," and the new chairman may behave differently after taking office, but must do the right thing; he claimed that the U.S. has conquered inflation and predicted a 5.4% economic growth in the fourth quarter; the recent decline in U.S. stocks is "insignificant" compared to previous gains, and he expects the stock market to double in the future; the U.S. is "actively developing" nuclear energy; the U.S. will not "become a tenant nation," reiterating the need to lower credit card interest rates; if Hamas does not agree to peace, it will be swiftly destroyed

Trump: Greenland is a core security interest of the United States, but the U.S. will not use force to seize it and seeks immediate negotiations