Analysis: Trump sounds like a petulant child having a tantrum – but his actions are deadly serious
By Siobhan Robbins, Europe correspondent
On numerous occasions over the last 12 months, Donald Trump’s unexpected actions have surprised, potentially shocked, his European allies.
But even against that backdrop, the letter he sent to Norway’s prime minister is extraordinary.
In excerpts from the message to Jonas Gahr Store, the US president bemoans the historic links between Denmark and Greenland.
The tone is dangerously close to a petulant child stamping its feet, rather than something you’d expect from the most powerful leader on Earth.
Equally alarming is the section where Trump’s grudge about not winning the Nobel Peace Prize resurfaces.
The fact the prize isn’t awarded by Norway itself – but by committee members appointed by parliament – is apparently inconsequential to Trump’s tantrum.
He wanted to win, he didn’t, and now his NATO allies who just a few weeks ago were quickly dismissing the notion that the US may invade Greenland if they couldn’t get it by other means are possibly feeling a little less secure in their opinion.
Those same allies may feel like they’re banging their heads against a brick wall with his assertion that Denmark can’t protect the territory from Russia or China.
At numerous news conferences, numerous leaders have repeated the message that Denmark isn’t attempting to ensure Greenland’s security alone.
They, and their other European counterparts, want to boost security via NATO.
This isn’t a case of Europe versus the US – they all want America to be a key part of protecting the Arctic by working together in the military alliance.
After all, it was the United States who decided to reduce their bases in Greenland to just one and cut their troops from thousands to a few hundred.
If security is so important to the White House, then they would likely see little resistance to boosting these numbers again.
But the problem is Trump doesn’t seem to want to share.
He says: “The world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland.”
At Davos, Europe’s Trump whisperers will try to talk him round.
If they fail and the US goes ahead with fresh tariffs and a potential land grab, the consequences for the transatlantic partnership and NATO will be unprecedented.