Trump Says He Won’t Use Force on Greenland, Warns NATO (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Really, this is the bit where I guess the Europeans would have been breathing a sigh of relief, is that he has no plans to take Greenland by force. He says we could do that and we would win it convincingly, but he'd no intent to invade Greenland. It's quite strange, it's bonkers really that we're even talking about that, but it is worth making the note that the United States President does not intend to invade Greenland. Let's pick up some of that with our Chief North America Correspondent Gary O'Donoghue. Some of these things that you have to just spell out, Gary, are quite extraordinary sometimes, but the very fact that the United States will not be invading the territory of a close NATO ally is something to remark on.

[00:00:43] Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's worth actually reading out the quotes here. So I've got it in front of me, it says, I don't have to use force, I don't want to use force, I won't use force. Now, that could be in a different world, the statement of the bleeding obvious, but it is actually a proper news line here today because this thing hasn't been taken off the table apparently up until now. I would caution, of course, that the weather can change in Donald Trump's world in the blink of an eye. So this, while people will take reassurance from it in that room and in those European capitals, I wouldn't suggest it's the end of the story. He says they're going to, they still want title to Greenland, they're going to negotiate, immediate negotiations, won't use force. That line could easily change is what I'm saying to you.

[00:01:41] Speaker 1: There was no line that he would take the tariffs off the table. So presumably as he heads into these meetings this afternoon, that is still to be negotiated.

[00:01:52] Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's something it's clear that he is prepared to go to. And whilst there's been a lot of toing and froing on tariffs on and off at various levels on various countries, they have settled into a place where there are a bunch of tariffs on a bunch of countries. And he is prepared to follow through on that. So that threat remains. And that is something that is going to be incredibly concerning to EU countries because of the nature of those threats. And we saw him there, not just sort of pressing home that issue, but also, and I think you alluded to this, kind of just reminding Europe who he believes is in charge. There was a lot of muscular talk in that speech about America's power, its military power, its economic power, its sort of cultural power. I mean, he was, you know, I think it was it Truman who said, you know, talk quietly, but carry a big stick. Well, Donald Trump doesn't talk quietly, talks very loudly and still carries the big stick and is prepared to wave it around pretty indiscriminately.

[00:03:10] Speaker 1: Yeah, I think he's maybe about to talk to the press, just on the edge of one of the side rooms here. Let's just listen in.

[00:03:20] Speaker 3: Yeah, she's doing a very good job. We have a very good relationship and Venezuela's working really well. We're going to be making a lot of money for Venezuela and they'll be able to take care of their people. She's doing a very good job. I made that very clear. We have a great relationship with NATO, but NATO has to step up. Between immigration and energy, if they don't change, bad things will happen.