Individuals attending the 56th World Financial Discussion board (WEF) Annual Assembly in Davos, Switzerland. |Photograph offered by: Reuters
European leaders took to the stage in Davos forward of President Donald Trump on Tuesday (20 January 2026), because the US president threatened tariffs to stress the EU over Greenland.
Trump is anticipated to take management this week at a Swiss ski resort, with a US delegation already on the bottom to advertise US insurance policies that threaten to undermine the world order cherished by the World Financial Discussion board.
European Union Prime Minister Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron are scheduled to talk on the discussion board on Tuesday (January 20), together with Chinese language Vice Premier He Lifeng and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who’re at odds with President Trump.
Trump is scheduled to provide a speech on Wednesday (January 21) and take part in different occasions on Thursday.
Europe is contemplating countermeasures after Trump threatened to impose tariffs on eight European international locations over the Greenland dispute.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who will lead the U.S. delegation to Davos, warned that any EU retaliation could be “extremely unwise.”
Ms von der Leyen met with a bipartisan US Congressional delegation in Davos on Monday and mentioned on social media that she “expressed the necessity to clearly respect the sovereignty of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark”.
Mr Macron will depart on Tuesday (20 January) with out assembly Mr Trump in Davos, however German Chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned at a discussion board on Wednesday (21 January) that he would search to fulfill the US president.
Merz mentioned Germany and different European international locations agreed that “we need to keep away from an escalation of this battle if potential.”
The leaders of the 27 international locations will maintain an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday to debate their response to one of the vital severe crises to shake transatlantic relations in years.
“Threats of tariffs on the stage of our allies are unacceptable. They undermine our transatlantic relations and, within the worst case, might result in a vicious cycle,” Finnish President Alexander Stubbe advised a information convention in Davos.
Requested if there was a risk that the US would use drive, Stubb mentioned: “I do not assume the US will take management of Greenland militarily.”
Denmark has proposed that NATO launch surveillance operations in Greenland to counter safety issues.
“USA Home”
Different outstanding overseas leaders talking on the WEF on Tuesday (January 20) embrace Mr. Carney, who’s searching for to scale back dependence on the US after President Trump raised tariffs on Canadian items.
Amid worsening relations with the US, Mr. Carney visited Beijing final week, reversing years of diplomatic tensions with China and securing a preliminary commerce settlement to chop tariffs.
Chinese language Vice Premier He Lifeng, who has had a long-standing commerce dispute with President Trump, can be scheduled to talk on the WEF.
Different flashpoints on the WEF’s agenda embrace the Venezuela, Gaza, Ukraine and Iranian crises.
The USA despatched an unusually giant delegation to Davos, indicating its need to make its presence felt on the gathering of the world’s financial and political leaders.
Bessent and different U.S. officers will attend panel discussions on the Discussion board’s convention middle in addition to on the USA Home, a venue housed in an outdated church on the chalet’s ornate promenade.
