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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowed connected Tuesday (January 20, 2026) an "unflinching" effect to Donald Trump's threats implicit Greenland, arsenic the U.S. President said helium was acceptable to clasp a gathering successful Davos astir the Arctic island.
In a code to the World Economic Forum successful the Swiss skis resort, Ms. von der Leyen warned that Trump risked plunging U.S. ties with the European Union into a "downward spiral" implicit the autonomous Danish territory.
Mr. Trump, who volition code the yearly gathering of planetary elites connected Wednesday (January 21, 2026), has enactment the transatlantic confederation to the trial with his request to instrumentality implicit Greenland.
Europe is weighing countermeasures aft the U.S. President threatened to enforce tariffs connected 8 European countries implicit the Greenland standoff — though Washington has said immoderate retaliatory levies would beryllium "unwise".
"The projected further tariffs are a mistake, particularly betwixt long-standing allies," Ms. von der Leyen told the gathering of satellite concern and governmental leaders.
"Plunging america into a downward spiral would lone assistance the precise adversaries we are some truthful committed to keeping retired of the strategical landscape. So our effect volition beryllium unflinching, agreed and proportional," she said.
Europe "must respond" to immoderate commercialized war, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen aboriginal told her parliament, adding: "We are compelled to bash so".
Mr. Trump has pressed connected with his Greenland run connected his Truth Social platform, posting a fake photograph of himself planting a emblem successful a scenery of stone and crystal adjacent to a motion speechmaking "GREENLAND -- US TERRITORY EST. 2026".
He aboriginal wrote helium had had a "very good" telephone with NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte implicit mineral-rich Greenland.
"I agreed to a gathering of the assorted parties successful Davos, Switzerland," helium said precocious connected Monday (January 19, 2026) — aft telling reporters helium did not deliberation European leaders would "push backmost excessively much" connected his effort to bargain the immense island.
Mr. Trump argues helium wants to support Greenland from perceived Russian and Chinese threats, though analysts suggest Beijing is simply a tiny subordinate successful the region.
E.U. leaders volition clasp an exigency acme connected Greenland successful Brussels connected Thursday (January 22, 202^).
World Economic Forum 2026 LIVE
Trump vs. Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron volition besides talk successful Davos connected Tuesday (January 20, 2026), with his relations with Trump having deed a caller low.
The U.S. person threatened 200% tariffs connected French vino and champagne implicit France's volition to diminution an invitation to articulation his "Board of Peace", aimed astatine resolving planetary conflicts.
Analysts person likened the committee — wherever a imperishable spot volition outgo $1 billion, according to Mr. Trump — to a pay-to-play mentation of the UN Security Council.
Mr. Trump confirmed Monday (January 19, 2026) that Russian President Vladimir Putin was 1 of assorted satellite leaders invited to join.
As for Mr. Macron, Mr. Trump told reporters "nobody wants him" arsenic helium volition "be retired of bureau precise soon".
Mr. Macron has alternatively sent a connection to Mr. Trump to suggest a G7 acme successful Paris connected Thursday (January 21, 2026) connected Greenland, arsenic good arsenic ways to extremity Russia's warfare with Ukraine, with Copenhagen, Moscow and Kyiv attending connected the sidelines.
The Kremlin said Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev plans to conscionable members of the U.S. delegation successful Davos — the archetypal to caput to the upland edifice since Russians were excluded from the gathering pursuing Moscow's penetration of Ukraine successful 2022.
China slams 'law of the jungle'
Other salient overseas leaders addressing the WEF connected Tuesday (January 20, 2026) included Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, whose state has been locked successful a commercialized warfare with Mr. Trump.
"A prime fewer countries should not person privileges based connected self-interest, and the satellite cannot revert to the instrumentality of the jungle wherever the beardown prey connected the weak," He said, without naming immoderate country.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has sought to trim his country's reliance connected the United States successful its ain tariffs feud with Trump, volition besides talk successful Davos aboriginal Tuesday (January 20, 2026).
As U.S. ties fray, Mr. Carney turned the leafage connected years of diplomatic tensions with China during a sojourn to Beijing past week, securing a preliminary commercialized statement to trim tariffs.
Other flashpoints connected the WEF docket see the crises successful Venezuela, Gaza, Iran -- and Ukraine.
Europe, which is ramping up defence spending to interruption its information reliance connected the United States, inactive needs Washington's assistance to extremity the Ukraine warfare and deter the looming Russian menace to its east.
But President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Tuesday (January 20, 2026) that helium feared the furore implicit Greenland could divert attention.
"I'm disquieted astir immoderate nonaccomplishment of absorption during a full-scale war," Mr. Zelenskyy told reporters, adding that the 2 crises should not beryllium seen arsenic "interchangeable".
UN main Antonio Guterres, a Davos regular, cancelled his information aft coming down with a "bad cold", his bureau said.
