Bessent Says ‘Weak’ Europe Means Trump Must Take Greenland (1)

Jan. 18, 2026, 5:59 PM UTC

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent amplified President Donald Trump’s message to European allies that the US won’t back down on taking over Greenland, saying the continent is too weak to ensure its security.

Bessent all but dismissed European Union threats to halt a tariff deal reached between Trump and the bloc last year, telling NBC News that the US president is using strategic leverage to get what he wants.

“First of all, the trade deal hasn’t been finalized, and an emergency action can be very different from another trade deal,” Bessent said Sunday in an interview with NBC’s Meet the ...



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