Carney speech draws sharp response from Trump at World Economic Forum

U.S. President Donald Trump has responded to Mark Carney’s address at the World Economic Forum yesterday by warning Canada that it only “lives” because of the United States.

Trump offered his own speech in Davos today — once again demanding control of Greenland, but ruling out the use of military force to do so.

The president says he’s formed the framework for a future deal on the island.

“Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” said Trump.

Calling him out by name, Trump was clearly bothered by Carney’s remarks yesterday.

“Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way. They should be grateful also, but they’re not. I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful,” said Trump.

Carney, nor his office, have responded to Trump’s comments today.

WATCH MORE: PM Carney announces investments from Qatar, expresses concern over Greenland

Christian Leuprecht from the Royal Military College Of Canada says it could be good that Trump is paying attention.

“In the past we’ve been very good at harnessing these types of moments,” said Leuprecht.

He says prior Canadian governments have been able to turn Washington’s gaze north into agreements that benefit Canada.

“There is a silver lining here, especially when the U.S. is looking to renegotiate USMCA,” said Leuprecht.

But McMaster University cultural critic Henry Giroux says Canadians need to be increasingly concerned about Trump.

“I think he’s dangerous. And I think Canadians are increasingly, enormously attentive to the seriousness of his charges, his claims, his expansionistic sort of ideology about annexing Canada,” said Giroux.

Yesterday, Carney said that the old-rules-based international order, anchored by American leadership, is gone. He also promised to defend Greenland militarily, and rejected Trump’s plan to use tariffs to compel American annexation.

Today, Trump walked back the possibility of a U.S. military invasion of Greenland. “Where we would be frankly unstoppable. But I won’t do that,” said Trump.

But he still demanded negotiations. “To once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States, just as we have acquired many other territories throughout our history,” said Trump.

WATCH MORE: World Economic Forum gets underway as Carney arrives in Davos

Trump then walked back the tariffs too, writing on Truth Social that a deal is in the works.

“Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” said Trump.

“It’s the ultimate long-term deal, and I think it puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security and minerals and everything else.”

“I think what Trump has in mind is Greenland as a U.S. territory,” said Leuprecht.

But Leuprecht says he doesn’t see how Greenland as a U.S. territory benefits Trump, because for 75 years the U.S. has had an agreement with Denmark that allows it to station any military assets that it likes.

“I’m not sure what problem Trump is trying to solve,” said Leuprecht.

Many have suggested Trump’s true goal is acquiring Greenland’s vast untapped wealth of critical minerals, but experts say getting them out from the remote and icy island will be difficult

“It may not be profitable to ever extract a large quantity of those resources. The business case just hasn’t really been there in a lot of cases,” said Mikkel Runge Olesen, senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies.

In his speech, Trump referenced Canada’s auto industry troubles, claiming his tariff plan is working to push American automakers to return to the U.S.

“His speech was filled with a lot of lies. The reality is that manufacturing investment in the United States is actually declining, and it’s lower today then it was a year ago before he became president,” said Colin Mang, economics professor at McMaster University.

Carney wrapped up his trip to the World Economic Forum today and is headed back to Canada while Trump will head back tomorrow.

WATCH MORE: Canada stands ‘firmly’ with Greenland, rejects tariffs over Danish territory: Carney