Donald Trump will not be able to force Greenland to change ownership, a former top adviser to the US president has told the BBC.
IBM's vice chairman Gary Cohn, who advised Trump on the economy in his first term, said Greenland will stay Greenland and linked the need for access to critical minerals to his former boss's plans for the territory.
Cohn is one of America's top tech bosses and served under Trump as director of the White House National Economic Council.
He warned that invading an independent country that is part of NATO would be a significant overreach.
Cohn also suggested the president's recent comments about Greenland might be part of a negotiation strategy.
He mentioned a general consensus among U.S. Congress that Greenland will remain as it is but indicated that discussions about increasing military presence on the island could be beneficial due to rising threats in the North Atlantic and Arctic.
Furthermore, Cohn highlighted the potential negotiations for Greenland's vast untapped supplies of rare earth minerals which are crucial for technologies such as AI and quantum computing.
Cohn expressed that while Trump is known for his negotiating tactics, the idea of military invasion is unacceptable, particularly concerning a country that does not wish to be invaded.
The start of the World Economic Forum in Davos has been overshadowed by Trump's aggressive positioning on Greenland, raising alarms among political and business leaders about the implications this stance may carry.
