Trump Launches Fresh Attack On European 'Losers' – With Special Emphasis On The UK

Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on Europe, including the UK, accusing it of “not heading in the right direction”.

It comes after the continent has pushed back over the US’s threats to seize Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous Danish territory and part of Nato.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the US president said: “We can argue about it, but there’s no argument. 

“Friends come back from different places – I don’t want to insult anybody – and say, I don’t recognise it. And that’s not in a positive way, that’s in a very negative way.

“And I love Europe and I want to see Europe go good, but it’s not heading in the right direction.”

He also singled out the UK for refusing to grant new drilling licences in the North Sea – and imposing a windfall tax on oil companies.

Trump said: “The United Kingdom produces just one third of the total energy from all sources that it did in 1999. Think of that.

“One third, and they’re sitting on top of the North Sea, one of the greatest reserves anywhere in the world, but they don’t use it.

“That’s one reason why their energy has reached catastrophically low levels with equally high prices.

“High prices, very low levels. Think of that – one-third and you’re sitting on top of the North Sea.

“They like to say, ‘Well, you know, that’s depleted’. It’s not depleted. It’s got 500 years. They haven’t even found the oil, the North Sea is incredible.

“They don’t let anybody drill, environmentally, they don’t let them drill. They make it impossible for the oil companies to go. They take 92% of the revenues.

“So the oil companies say, ‘We can’t do it’.”

The president said that he “wants Europe to do great”, but claimed: “Their electricity prices have soared 139%. There are windmills all over Europe. Windmills all over the place. They are losers.”

He said China sells windmills to the “stupid people” but they don’t use them themselves.

To soften the blow of his insults, Trump then reminded his audience: “I am derived from Scotland and Germany – 100% Scotland, my mother, 100% German, my father – and we believe deeply in the bonds we share with Europe and I want to see it do great.”

But he claimed Europe is “destroying itself” right now, and the US wants “strong allies not seriously weakened one”.

The mercurial president also insisted there is “nothing wrong” with the US acquiring territories, clearly ignoring the backlash from his allies over his seemingly imperial push towards Greenland.

Trump said: “That’s the reason I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States, just as we have acquired many other territories throughout our history, as many of the European nations have. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

He claimed Denmark has not spent enough on Greenland’s defences, even though “every Nato ally has an obligation to be able to defect their own territory.”

Trump then added: “This enormous unsecured island is actually part of North America on the northern frontier of the Western Hemisphere, that’s our territory.”

That’s not true. Greenland has been part of the kingdom of Denmark for 300 years.

The president has previously refused to rule out using the military to take over Greenland, but he told Davos: “We won’t get anything unless I use excessive strength and force, when we would be unstoppable. I won’t use force.”

Trump said the island could play a “vital role in world peace and world protection”, insisting it is a “very small ask” compared to what the States has given to Nato over the years.

“We’re there for Nato 100%, I’m not sure if they’d be there for us,” Trump noted, apparently forgetting how the defence alliance jumped into action to protect the US after 9/11.

However, he added an ominous warning over Greenland, saying: “You can say yes and we will be very appreciative or you can say no and we will remember.”

The president has already threatened to slap 10% tariffs on Britain and seven other European countries from February 1 unless they allow him to take control of the world’s largest island.

Trump has also resorted to attack the UK government’s decision to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Despite supporting the deal last year, he said it was an “act of great stupidity” and “total weakness” on Tuesday.

But, on Wednesday, Keir Starmer told MPs in the Commons he would “not yield” when it comes to protecting the Arctic island – regardless of Trump’s threats.

Though he usually avoids publicly challenging the president, the PM issued his strongest rebuke yet, saying: ” Britain will not yield on our principles and values about the future of Greenland under threats of tariffs, and that is my clear position.”