Inside White House Briefing That Put Greenland, NATO on Edge

WASHINGTON DC – By the time Donald Trump finally opened the floor to questions, the room already knew where this was headed.

The US President had spent nearly an hour in the White House briefing room recounting what aides billed as “365 wins in 365 days,” leafing through a glossy handout of first-year accomplishments and warming up with familiar boasts about NATO, Nobel snubs and world leaders who, he said, treat him “very nicely” when he is in the room.

Then came Greenland. Asked how far he was willing to go to acquire the Arctic island from Denmark, Trump offered just three words that instantly rippled across capitals on both sides of the Atlantic: “You’ll find out.”

Hours later, Air Force One lifted off for Switzerland, carrying a President who has turned a long-dormant idea into a live diplomatic grenade – and set the stage for an uncomfortable debut at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

A warning before Davos

Trump is arriving in Davos on Wednesday after a week of escalating pressure on European allies, threatening tariffs on NATO partners and refusing to rule out the use of force to take control of Greenland, which he insists the US needs “for national security and even world security.”

“We have a lot of meetings scheduled on Greenland,” he said as the Tuesday briefing wound down. “And I think things are going to work out very well.”

Behind the scenes, the reaction has been far less serene.

One senior congressional aide, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told Kyiv Post that the White House’s strategy has left lawmakers “stunned by how casually the President is treating the stability of the alliance.”

“People thought this was leverage,” the aide said, adding, “Now it sounds like a real territorial demand. That’s not something NATO was built to survive.”

Western diplomats, already bracing for Trump’s return to the global stage, described frantic calls between European capitals in the hours after the briefing.

“The phrase ‘you’ll find out’ landed like a threat,” said one senior Western official. “No one knows if he means tariffs, bases – or something much worse.”

‘I did more for NATO than anyone alive or dead’

The Greenland exchange capped a wide‑ranging performance in which Trump again cast himself as NATO’s savior and its most skeptical patron.

“I did more for NATO than any other person alive or dead,” he said, citing his pressure campaign to push allies toward spending 5 percent of GDP on defense. “NATO is only as good as we are. If NATO doesn’t have us, NATO is not very strong.”

He questioned, repeatedly, whether the alliance would come to America’s defense.

“The big fear I have with NATO is we spend tremendous amounts of money,” Trump said. “I know we’ll come to their rescue, but I really do question whether or not they’ll come to ours.”

The comment landed awkwardly in capitals that still point to the only time Article 5 has ever been invoked – after the September 11 attacks, when allies rushed to Washington’s aid.

A second Western official told Kyiv Post Trump’s remarks “cut directly at the credibility of collective defense.”

“If the US President is publicly doubting Article 5 while demanding territory from an ally, that’s an existential moment for the alliance,” the official said.

Nobel, Macron – and a world of grievances

The briefing roamed well beyond Greenland.

Trump revived his long‑running feud with Norway, saying he had “lost a lot of respect” for Oslo and insisting the country “controls the Nobel Peace Prize.”

“I settled eight wars,” he said, adding, “No President has settled one war.”

He floated the idea that his newly announced “Board of Peace” could one day replace the UN – “It might,” he said, calling the UN “not very helpful.”

And he offered a mix of flattery and scolding for European leaders he has not spoken to since posting about them online.

“I think I get along very well with them,” Trump said of French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “They get a little bit rough when I’m not around, but when I’m around they treat me very nicely.”

Then came a lecture on immigration, windmills and the North Sea. “They’ve got to straighten out their countries,” Trump said. “They have two problems, immigration and energy.”

Greenland, again – and again

For all the detours, the central message kept circling back to Greenland.

Trump insisted the island’s population would welcome a US takeover once he speaks to them.

“I haven’t spoken to them,” he said. “When I speak to them, I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.”

The remark clashed with weekend protests in Greenland and blunt pushback from European leaders who have rejected any US claim on the territory.

Trump waved off the political cost. Asked whether the alliance might fracture over Greenland, he predicted harmony.

“Something is going to happen which will be very good for everybody,” he said. “We will work something out where NATO will be very happy and we will be very happy.”

Privately, aides are less confident. A senior Republican Senate staffer told Kyiv Post that members are hearing from voters who are “confused and uneasy” about why Greenland – and even Venezuela – have suddenly become centerpieces of an “America First” agenda.

“They expected trade fights and border fights,” the staffer said. “They did not expect a territorial showdown with allies.”

Setting the tone for Davos

Trump said his Davos speech will focus on “the tremendous success that we’ve had in one year.” But his social media posts and Tuesday’s remarks have already ensured that Greenland will dominate the margins of the forum.

Western officials said they are preparing for meetings in which allies will press Trump for clarity he has so far refused to give.

“The problem isn’t just the policy,” said one European diplomat. “It’s the uncertainty. No one knows what ‘you’ll find out’ means.”

For a President who thrives on an audience hanging on his every word, the line was vintage Trump – cryptic, provocative, and impossible to ignore.

As Air Force One disappeared into the winter sky, Washington was left with a familiar question, sharpened by Arctic stakes: Is this leverage, theater – or the opening move of a territorial gamble that could redefine America’s place in the world?