- Trump criticised Europe as not heading in the right direction at Davos
- Trump claimed the US is the economic engine driving global prosperity
- He expressed strong interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark
Europe is not headed in the right direction, US President Donald Trump said at the World Economic Forum in Davos today, in a direct attack on an ally that now struggles with keeping up with the shifting winds in Washington.
Trump also reiterated his ambition to control Greenland, which threatens to tear apart relations with several of its closest allies, as Washington's relationship with Europe faces a hostile transition under Trump's leadership of the US superpower.
That struggle only worsens with the US president's open criticism on the Davos stage.
Trump proclaimed America as an "economic engine on the planet" and slammed Europe, saying parts of the continent were "not recognizable."
"The USA is the economic engine on the planet. And when America booms, the entire world booms. It's been the history," he said at Davos, adding, "I love Europe, and I want to see Europe go good, but it's not heading in the right direction." The US cares about the people of Europe, he went on, reiterating his "deep bond" with the continent he shares his ancestry with.
Read: Trump's Greenland Ultimatum In Davos: "Say No And We Will Remember"
Europe was destroying itself, he further alleged, calling it a "weakened" continent that Washington wants to see as strong.
"Europe and those countries have to do their thing. They have to get out of the culture that they've created over the last 10 years. It's horrible what they're doing to themselves. They're destroying themselves. We want strong allies, not seriously weakened ones. We want Europe to be strong. Ultimately, these are matters of national security, and perhaps no current issue makes the situation more clear," he added.
On his Greenland ambition, his speech was direct and firm.
Doubling down on his plans for the Danish autonomous territory, he told the global elites that only the US could "secure Greenland." "We are a great power, much greater than people even understand," he said, slamming NATO ally Denmark as "ungrateful" for the help it received from Washington to secure Greenland after World War II.
Read: Trump Calls Greenland "Our Territory" But Won't Use Force To Acquire It
Trump also called on European allies to negotiate a potential US acquisition of what he described as the "giant piece of ice." The US annexation of Greenland, he said, would be in the best interests of both US and Europe.
"It's the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice, develop it and improve it and make it so that it's good for Europe and safe for Europe and good for us," Trump said.
The US control of Greenland would also strengthen NATO alliance, he argued.
The US president arrived in Davos hours earlier after a brief delay due to an electrical glitch on board Air Force One. He returned to Washington and arrived in the Swiss ski resort after swapping his aircraft.
