Trump's speech at the Davos Economic Forum is nothing short of a series of outrageous remarks.

Regarding the latest tariffs on Europe, Trump has changed his stance again. On January 21, during his attendance at the Davos Economic Forum, Trump suddenly announced on social media that based on the results of his meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the two had reached an agreement on a cooperation framework for Greenland and the Arctic region. Therefore, he would not implement the tariffs on Europe, which were originally scheduled to take effect on February 1st.

Has Trump backed down? Not necessarily.

At the same time, in his speech at the Davos Forum, Trump also softened his radical tone regarding the takeover of Greenland, stating that he would not use military force to occupy Greenland.

The "Politico" website's European edition referred to Trump's change of heart as "a relief for European leaders."

So, does Trump really intend to stop demanding Greenland?

The answer is clearly no. Although Trump has removed his sharp threats, his mocking attacks on Europe during his speech at the Davos Forum have not diminished at all. He either mocked Denmark for resisting only six hours during World War II before surrendering or boasted that "without him, Europe would now speak German," and accused Canada of profiting from the United States without gratitude.

This series of insulting remarks clearly show that beneath the softened tone, Trump's arrogance and contempt for allies have not decreased one bit.

Trump can say whatever he wants at Davos

Similarly, Europe does not believe in Trump's retreat. They have long been familiar with Trump's capricious style, and this time is no exception—German Deputy Chancellor Lars Lindemann stated that it is too early to conclude that the dispute between Trump and Europe has ended.

More intriguingly, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's statement was revealing. When asked what agreement had been reached with Trump, Rutte admitted that the meeting with Trump had not touched upon the core issue of Greenland's sovereignty.

In other words, although Trump stated he would not use military force to seize Greenland, he has made no commitment to abandon his ambitions over Greenland. The so-called "cooperation framework" is merely a vague transitional arrangement, and Denmark may still be forced to make greater concessions on the issue of sovereignty. Rutte's wording has instead made Europe even more anxious.

Greenland residents protest against Trump

The New York Times subsequently revealed a piece of information that seems to confirm Europe's concerns.

The report said that before Trump publicly expressed his position, there had been high-level negotiations within NATO to cede a small portion of Greenland's sovereignty to the U.S., in order for the U.S. to establish a military base there. Trump's attitude toward this potential agreement was very positive, claiming that it would "let us get everything we want."

If the New York Times' scoop is true, then Trump's so-called "retreat" is actually just another more subtle way to continue pushing his goals.

However, even if this plan were to be implemented, it's hard to say exactly what additional substantial benefits Trump would gain.

Because from a military access perspective, the U.S. already has extremely liberal military privileges in Greenland through the defense agreement signed with Denmark in 2023 and the 1951 Greenland Defense Agreement, including the ability to build military facilities, station troops, hold exercises, and enjoy priority in criminal jurisdiction, while Denmark and the Greenland self-government have almost no real power to veto.

Europe did not find comfort in Trump's words

Therefore, Trump's grandiose demand for Greenland's sovereignty is obviously not for building a few more bases; this is more of a political performance promoting the narrative of "America First."

Certainly, the irony is that this year's Davos Forum specifically arranged a session titled "How Leaders Can Deal With Fear"—it's obvious who this is targeting.

The shadow Trump has cast has already made European countries so anxious that they need to openly discuss "how to manage fear," collectively talking about their boss's unpredictability—a rather ironic situation, indeed.



Original: toutiao.com/article/7598095957443510784/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.