U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday escalated his push to assert control over Greenland, sharing leaked private messages and AI-generated images while refusing to rule out the use of force.
Speaking after discussions with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said there was “no going back” on what he described as Greenland’s central importance to U.S. and global security.
The remarks intensified an already widening dispute with European allies and raised fears of renewed trade conflict between the United States and the European Union.
European leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos struggled to project unity as markets reacted sharply to the rising tensions.
Trump’s campaign has included public posts of private messages from European leaders and AI mock-ups depicting Greenland and Canada as part of the United States.
Among the shared messages were communications from French President Emmanuel Macron questioning Trump’s actions and from NATO’s Rutte expressing a desire to “find a way forward on Greenland.”
The disclosures followed earlier leaks involving Norway and added to diplomatic unease across Europe.
Denmark, which holds sovereignty over Greenland, struck a defiant tone as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she would not abandon the territory.
She warned that Trump’s refusal to rule out military force had forced others to consider scenarios they would otherwise dismiss.
Denmark also confirmed the deployment of soldiers to western Greenland as part of a previously planned Arctic exercise, a move Trump publicly downplayed.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa opposed any U.S. tariffs tied to the dispute.
Trump’s renewed tariff threats against multiple European countries revived fears of a broader trade war.
He has warned of steep duties on European exports, including a proposed 200 percent tariff on French wine, if resistance continues.
European Union leaders said countermeasures were under active consideration, including tariffs on €93 billion in U.S. imports and potential use of the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the moment as a “seismic change” requiring greater European independence.
Russia entered the debate as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov questioned Denmark’s historical claim to Greenland while denying Russian ambitions over the island.
Financial markets reacted with global stock declines and record gold prices, reflecting growing investor unease over the geopolitical and economic implications.