Donald Trump appeared to confuse Greenland with Iceland during a speech to world leaders, as he continued his pursuit of the Arctic territory.
Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, the president continued to argue that the US needed to take ownership of Greenland to ensure national security.
During the speech, he referred to Greenland as a “big piece of ice”. But at one point, Trump also repeatedly referred to the country of Iceland.
“Our stock market took the first dip yesterday because of Iceland, so Iceland has already cost us a lot of money,” he said. “But that dip is peanuts compared to what it’s gone up.”
He went on to refer to Iceland multiple times in the speech at the World Economic Forum, as he spoke out about the continuing tense negotiations with Denmark over Greenland.
“Until the last few days, when I told them about Iceland, they loved me. They called me ‘Daddy’,” Trump said.
“I went from running it to being a terrible human being. But now what I’m asking for is a piece of ice, cold and poorly located, that can play a vital role in world peace and world protection. It’s a very small ask compared to what we have given them for many, many decades.”
He went on to continue to attack Nato for not being “there for us on Iceland” despite “all of the money we expend, with all of the blood, sweat and tears”.
Iceland and Greenland are two separate territories within the North Atlantic Ocean, separated at its narrowest point by a 290-300km stretch known as the Denmark Strait.
While Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark with a population of more than 50,000, Iceland is its own sovereign country populated by over 390,000 people.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later disputed reports that Trump had mixed the two up.
Replying to a post by News Nation’s White House correspondent Libbey Dean, Leavitt wrote: “No he didn’t, Libby. His written remarks referred to Greenland as a “piece of ice” because that’s what it is. You’re the only one mixing anything up here.”
Elsewhere in the Davos speech, Trump said he would not use force to take Greenland, amid growing concerns from Nato allies over how far the president is willing to go.
He did, however, warn that he would “remember” if Denmark and Greenland didn’t give in to his demands.
“We’ve never asked for anything else and we could have kept that piece of land and we didn’t,” he said. “So they have a choice: you can say yes, and we will be very appreciative, or you can say no, and we will remember.”
Trump’s pursuit of the autonomous territory sparked thousands of demonstrators to gather across Denmark and Greenland over the weekend.
An estimated 10,000 Danes gathered at Copenhagen’s City Hall Square to push back against Trump’s threats, with many people in the crowd donning parody hats mimicking Trump’s signature, bright-red MAGA cap that instead read “Make America Go Away”.
