Business

During his speech at the World Economic Forum, President Donald Trump stated that he would not use force to take Greenland. He emphasized that the U.S. economy is thriving, while he believes Europe is "not heading in the right direction." Trump's desire to gain control of Greenland from Denmark, a NATO ally, could harm relationships with some of the U.S.'s closest partners. He aimed to highlight his efforts to reduce inflation and boost the economy at home, but much of his speech focused on his complaints about other nations. Trump claimed that the U.S. was best suited to control Greenland and criticized most European countries for their opposition to his plans. He said, "I love Europe and I want to see Europe do well, but it’s not heading in the right direction." He added, "We want strong allies, not seriously weakened ones." Trump also declared, "When America booms, the whole world booms," and stated, "You all follow us down and you follow us up." His arrival in Davos, a Swiss Alps town, was delayed due to a minor electrical problem on Air Force One, which required a return to Washington for a different aircraft. However, this delay was not expected to affect his planned keynote speech. Many billionaires and business leaders rushed to find seats in the Congress Hall, which holds about 1,000 people, to hear Trump speak. Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Technologies, navigated through the crowd to reach the front of the line. Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce and a board member of the World Economic Forum, also made his way through the media line to enter. Trump mentioned Greenland again, calling Denmark ungrateful, and also referred to the U.S. military operation that led to the recent removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Foreign policy and U.S. influence in the region were expected to be major topics during Trump's talk on Thursday, where he plans to discuss the "Board of Peace" he is creating to oversee a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.