❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump has dismissed a proposal by French President Emmanuel Macron for an emergency G7 meeting on Greenland, citing doubts about Macron’s political longevity, and chastised British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for his mismanagement of the United Kingdom.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Remarks made during a press call at the White House on Monday afternoon and at a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Emmanuel is not going to be there very long. And you know, there’s no longevity there. He’s a friend of mine. He’s a nice guy. I like Macron, but—but he’s not—he’s not going to be there very much longer.” – Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: Trump is emphasizing the United States’ central role in sustaining Western security and prosperity, and the need for European nations to make concessions in areas such as Greenland to continue enjoying U.S. protection.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump said he would not attend an emergency meeting of G7 leaders on Greenland, proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, arguing that the French leader’s political future has a short shelf life. He also argued that British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who is also opposing U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland, should focus on domestic issues, including energy and immigration.
Speaking during a press call at the White House before his departure to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit, Trump dismissed the idea of traveling to France for a Macron-led discussion, saying he preferred to deal directly with parties involved in the Greenland issue. “Emmanuel is not going to be there very long. And you know, there’s no longevity there,” Trump said of Macron, who is term-limited and suffers from an approval rating below 20 percent.
“He’s a friend of mine. He’s a nice guy. I like Macron, but he’s not going to be there very much longer,” Trump noted.
At Davos, Trump also suggested that France and the United Kingdom, which are also opposing U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland, should address domestic failures on immigration, energy, and economic growth. He was particularly critical of Britain’s energy strategy, accusing successive governments of neglecting North Sea oil and gas development and banning fracking in favor of wind power, resulting in poor energy security and extremely high energy prices. He also commented on demographic trends in Britain, noting that population growth has been driven largely by mass migration, with near-negative natural population growth.
Trump has previously expressed concern over Prime Minister Starmer’s decision to give away the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which is an ally of China, despite the fact that they host an important British-American military base, calling it “stupidity.”
More broadly, Trump emphasized the United States’ central role in sustaining Western security and prosperity at Davos, issuing a warning to Canada and pressing NATO allies with issues at home to make concessions on U.S. priorities like Greenland in recognition of his country’s outsized role in protecting them militarily.
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