'Something's going to happen,' Trump says as Greenland threats rattle NATO allies

Geoff Bennett:

Welcome to the "News Hour."

President Trump today sent mixed signals on his threats to take over Greenland ahead of meetings with European allies in Davos later this week. After inflammatory messages posted online overnight and this morning, President Trump, while speaking to reporters at the White House this afternoon, seemed to signal a deal could be reached.

Amna Nawaz:

Meanwhile, European leaders already gathering at the World Economic Forum are forcefully pushing back against the president's new tariff threats and his insistence that U.S. control of Greenland is a national security imperative.

The president departs tonight for Switzerland and some high-stakes meetings at an uncertain moment for the transatlantic alliance.

In Zurich, Switzerland, protesters set the U.S. flag ablaze before President Trump arrives in Davos for the World Economic Forum, where leaders of American allies today pushed back on Trump's new tariff threats if Europe refuses to back his Greenland takeover.

From Canada:

Mark Carney, Canadian Prime Minister:

We stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully support their unique right to determine Greenland's future.

Amna Nawaz:

To the European Union,

Ursula Von Der Leyen, President, European Commission:

First principle, full solidarity with Greenland and the kingdom of Denmark. The sovereignty and integrity of that territory is nonnegotiable.

Amna Nawaz:

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed French troops would be sent to Greenland and warned against giving in to Trump.

Emmanuel Macron, French President (through interpreter):

We must not give in to the law of the strongest or to intimidation tactics. We must move forward. We must not yield to the dictates of the strongest. We must defend our interests, but also our principles.

Amna Nawaz:

And Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen worried about the impact of U.S. military action.

Jens-Frederik Nielsen (through interpreter):

This leader from the other side has made it very clear that it is not ruled out. And, therefore, we must, of course, be prepared for everything. But we must emphasize that Greenland is part of the Western alliance, NATO. And if there is further escalation, it will also have consequences for the entire outside world.

Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury Secretary:

He believes that Greenland is essential.

Amna Nawaz:

Already in Davos, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged European leaders to -- quote -- "have an open mind."

Scott Bessent:

I tell everyone, sit back, take a deep breath, do not retaliate, do not retaliate. The president will be here tomorrow and he will get his message across.

Amna Nawaz:

But a slew of overnight messages from Trump shared on TRUTH Social have already set the tone for his visit, posting just after midnight: "Greenland is imperative for national and world security. There can be no going back."

At 1:

38 a.m.: "Denmark and its European allies have to do the right thing." And today: "If I didn't come along, there would be no NATO right now."

Trump also posted screenshots of private Signal messages from French President Macron and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and this A.I.-generated image of himself and world leaders in the White House with a map showing the U.S. flag covering not just Greenland, but Venezuela and Canada as well.

President Donald Trump:

These are accomplishments.

Amna Nawaz:

For allies trying to anticipate Trump's plans, the president in today's White House briefing had few details to share.

Question, how far are you willing to go to acquire Greenland?

President Donald Trump:

You will find out.

Amna Nawaz:

But signaled a possible deal ahead in Davos.

President Donald Trump:

So I think something's going to happen that's going to be very good for everybody. I think that we will work something out, where NATO is going to be very happy and where we're going to be very happy. But we need it for security purposes. We need it for national security and even world security. It's very important.

Amna Nawaz:

For a perspective now on how President Trump's rhetoric could fundamentally change the NATO alliance, we turn to Robin Niblett, a distinguished fellow and former director at Chatham House. That's a global policy think tank.

Robin, welcome back to the "News Hour." Thanks for joining us.

We should note you are already in Davos. The president, of course, will arrive there tomorrow. Tell us about what it's like there on the ground. And do you believe that President Trump and European leaders can have productive dialogue on the issue of Greenland?

Robin Niblett, Chatham House:

Well, it's made it, Davos, more febrile than usual. It's always a febrile week, a lot going on, a lot of competing debates.

But with most of the U.S. Cabinet descending and some of them already participating in dinners this evening, and, I mean, this remarkable buildup to this Davos was, as you noted in your lead-in here, the tweets and the comments about European leaders, people are literally just punch-drunk at the moment.

I think they're punch-drunk. But to your second part of your question, there is a sort of we have got our backs to the wall and we're not going any further type of feeling to the European leaders that I saw speaking today and that you reported on as well.

I think we will see whether President Trump can sense this or not. He has a kind of animal instinct of how far he can push people. But for most of these European governments, the idea of compromising on Greenland's sovereignty and the sovereignty of the Greenlandic people in return for a sort of 19th, early 20th century return to great power hemispheric politics is nonnegotiable.

So there might be a deal out there, but Donald Trump would have to climb back somewhat from where he's gone to.

Amna Nawaz:

So what do you see happening from here? I mean, we saw President Trump threatening new tariffs, right, if Greenland -- or, rather, if European allies stand in the way of him acquiring Greenland.

We are now seeing some European leaders say they could retaliate as well. Are European leaders aligned on that approach?

Robin Niblett:

I think there's a great nervousness about retaliating with trade measures. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent kind of warned European leaders today here in Davos, don't do it. It was a slightly plaintive cry, please don't do it. He will be here soon. You can talk to him. He's got a plan.

So I think instinctively there's a desire not to do it. When the trade -- reciprocal trade battle came to a head in July of last year, a deal was done with the United States, which basically gave European nations a 15 percent tariff rate, which was amongst the best globally.

And Europe in return offered to take some zero tariff rates for some American products. We didn't match them at all, the view being we need America at our side for the war in Ukraine still to this point. There's nothing to be gained by escalating with Trump.

So where we're at right now is, I think they may decide to push off approving the deal. The Europeans had not yet ratified the deal. The European Parliament, the E.U.'s Parliament, has to do that to come into law. They have not yet done it, despite it being sort of agreed back in July last year.

So I suspect what they will do is not approve it while Greenland remains in doubt, but at the same time not have retaliatory tariffs that they were planning last year. They're going to try and find a holding pattern and wait and see, as Scott Bessent recommended, what President Trump is going to bring to Davos.

Amna Nawaz:

So, Robin, you have got sort of a rising U.S. threat of military action in Greenland. You have got rising tensions over a potential trade war with E.U. allies here. What does all this mean for the NATO alliance?

I mean, can NATO excommunicate one of its members?

(Laughter)

Robin Niblett:

Well, can it? Actually, I don't even know the legal answer to that. I know there is a legal answer to it, but I think the idea of excommunicating the top leader -- I don't want to take the religious analogy too far, but like the disciples excommunicating Jesus, I mean, would be a hell of a step.

So, no, I mean, that isn't going to happen. I think European leaders are trying to look to the long term. What they don't want to do is to allow a sudden or extended collapse of the relationship with the Trump administration to define the future of a NATO alliance that they believe is going to be critical for their security against a very revanchist Russia well into the future, well beyond the time of this Trump administration.

So, on the one hand, they're trying to sort of buy time, but not just by sitting back and hoping the past will return.

They're buying time by investing in defense, including investing in Arctic defense, buying American defense equipment, raising their defense spending levels, taking security seriously, looking after Ukraine themselves, which they have been doing this past calendar year, and hoping that by demonstrating to this Mr. Trump or to a post-Trump president, that the alliance could actually be stronger in the future than it is right now.

So they're trying to turn this moment of emergency into something that could be more positive for the future.

Amna Nawaz:

So, in the minute or so we have left, I want to ask you -- I know we're focused on Greenland right now, but we should also note the president has previously threatened retaking control of the Panama Canal, for example.

He's now also threatening Canada being acquired by the U.S. as well. As we mark year one of his second presidency, what do you take away from where the president's words actually meet his actions?

Robin Niblett:

Well, that's a very difficult question.

I still sense there are more words. Look, you can't deny what happened in Venezuela, although, again, the end result of Venezuela is yet to be seen. You can't deny what has happened with the tariffs, even though I think Europe can live with 15 percent. A lot of the peace deals have ended up being temporary at best. Cambodia, Thailand, the Democratic Republic of Congo, they're not yet resolved.

Gaza, we're still not out of phase one. I think people are wondering in Europe, does he have staying power? He's definitely started his second presidency looking for a legacy. Our worry in Europe is that he sees Greenland as his legacy. It's real estate. It's big. It could have minerals.

And we're worried that the hemispheric part of his ambition is going to affect our security, because, if Greenland falls in some way, if he really applies pressure to it, it's a terrible example to Russia, to China and to others. So we're worried, but we're hopeful that, a bit like in the first administration, he won't go all the way.

Amna Nawaz:

Robin Niblett, former director at Chatham House, joining us tonight from Davos.

Robin, thank you for your time. It's good to speak with you.

Robin Niblett:

Thanks, Amna.