US President Donald Trump arrives in Davos on Wednesday for talks with European leaders over Greenland, after renewing claims that the United States needs the Arctic territory for national and global security and promising a “very positive” outcome. The showdown comes as European leaders warn against power politics and struggle to agree on how to respond.
Trump is due to speak at the World Economic Forum a day after French President Emmanuel Macron used the Davos stage to denounce what he called “the law of the strongest”. Macron said he preferred “respect rather than bullies” and “the rule of law rather than brutality”, in an implicit response to Trump’s ambitions for Greenland.
Trump confirmed he would hold a meeting on Greenland with “the different parties” on the sidelines of the forum, without saying when it would take place.
“I have agreed to a meeting of the different parties in Davos, Switzerland,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
'A moment of truth for the EU', says former head of European Council
Avoid 'reflexive anger'
Europeans should avoid "reflexive anger" and sit down with US President Donald Trump in Davos to hear his arguments about acquiring Greenland, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a few hours before the US president was due to arrive.
"I will tell everyone: take a deep breath. Do not have this reflexive anger that we've seen and this bitterness," Bessent told reporters.
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday before leaving for Switzerland, Trump said the United States needed Greenland for “national security, and even global security”.
“You will find out,” he replied when asked how far he was prepared to go to take control of the autonomous Danish territory. He also said he had “no idea” how his Davos trip would unfold.
After leaving Washington late Tuesday Trump was forced to turn back after what the White House described as a “minor electrical problem” on Air Force One.
He later departed on a second aircraft, arriving around two and a half hours behind schedule.
European military mission in Greenland as US aim 'remains intact'
Europe under pressure
European leaders have struggled to present a unified response. France said on Wednesday it wanted a NATO exercise in Greenland and was ready to contribute, as concern grows over Trump’s repeated threats to annex the territory.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe’s response would be “firm, united and proportionate” and that the sovereignty of Greenland and Denmark was “not negotiable”. She also proposed working with the United States on Arctic security.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signalled a preference for dialogue, saying he was ready to try to meet Trump in Davos to avoid an escalation in trade tensions, while still referring to the possibility of a European response.
In central and eastern Europe, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that “Europe cannot afford any weakness”.
Despite the strong language from some capitals, European governments remain divided over how far to push back against Washington, with no clear common strategy emerging as leaders gather in Davos.
