By suddenly declaring a deal on Greenland, Trump demolished his case for owning it
CBC
In a whiplash-inducing U-turn, U.S. President Donald Trump suddenly dropped his insistence on taking control of Greenland, mere hours after laying out at great length his rationale for ownership of the Arctic island.
For weeks, Trump stuck firmly to a take-it-or-leave-it position on Greenland, insisting that nothing short of the U.S. owning the Danish territory would address his national security concerns.
On Wednesday, Trump made a detailed case for U.S. control of the island during an hour-plus speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Then, barely four hours after leaving the stage, Trump demolished any shred of validity to his claims.
The president posted on social media that he "had formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region" as a result of a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that lasted less than an hour.
Who says Rome wasn't built in a day?
While few specifics have emerged about the "framework," it's clear it does not include Denmark handing Greenland over to the U.S.
Trump also wrote that he will not impose the tariffs he had previously threatened to levy on Denmark and seven other European NATO allies who backed its refusal to give up Greenland by sending small contingents of troops to the Arctic island.
Trump's capitulation on U.S. ownership followed his declaration during the Davos speech that he will not use military force to take control of Greenland.
Anders Vistisen, a Danish member of the European Parliament, says after ruling out military action, Trump's remaining arguments for U.S. control were exposed as weak.
"All that's left is false rhetoric and basically a lot of lies about the Arctic area and Greenland," Vistisen told CBC News Network in an interview after Trump's speech, but before his social media post.
Vistisen said Trump "could not deliver on why he should have Greenland and what he needs it for."
Henri-Paul Normandin, a former Canadian diplomat, says Trump must have realized Europe's resolve in opposing his ambitions for Greenland and was left looking for a way to claim some sort of victory.
"Essentially, he is backing off to some extent because Europe is reacting so strongly," Normandin told CBC News Network.
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WARNING: This story contains disturbing details about gruesome deaths and sexual abuse.