Donald Trump is today braced for a showdown with world leaders in Davos as tensions flare between the US and Europe over his threats to seize Greenland.
The American President is scheduled to address the World Economic Forum in Switzerland after doubling down on his insistence that the US needs to acquire the arctic territory.
His journey to Europe was delayed after his plane, Air Force One, was forced to turn round after what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said was ‘a minor electrical issue’.
The plane landed safely at Joint Base Andrews near Washington and Mr Trump boarded another aircraft, a modified Boeing 757, to complete the journey. He will arrive at the event three hours late.
He is due to address business leaders at Davos, after French President Emmanuel Macron warned yesterday of a ‘shift towards a world without rules’ where ‘international law is trampled underfoot, and the only law that matters is that of the strongest’.
Asked yesterday how far he was willing to go to acquire the semi-autonomous territory of NATOally Denmark, Trump replied: ‘You’ll find out.’
Follow the latest updates as Donald Trump heads to Davos
Europe should ‘understand that Greenland needs to be part of the US’, says Treasury Secretary
In more comments from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, he says he is asking ‘European allies to understand that Greenland needs to be part of the US’.
He also calls Europe a ‘regulatory morass’.
As for President Trump’s arrival, he is expected to be three hours late.
US Treasury Secretary: ‘Why don’t European countries sit down and wait for President Trump to address them?’
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has already arrived in Davos ahead of President Trump’s arrival.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Bessent said: ‘Why don’t European countries sit down and wait for President Trump to address them?’
Nearly 3,000 high-level participants from 130 countries, plus an untold number of activists and observers, are expected to converge on the annual event scheduled to last through Friday for dialogue, debate and deal-making in the Alpine resort.
Trump’s third visit as president comes as US allies worry about his ambition to take over Greenland, while Latin America grapples with his efforts to seize Venezuela’s oil.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday called Trump’s planned new tariffs on eight of its countries over Greenland a ‘mistake’ and questioned Trump’s trustworthiness.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the EU could retaliate by deploying one of its most powerful economic tools, known colloquially as a trade ‘bazooka’.
France asks for a NATO exercise in Greenland and is ready to contribute to it
France has asked for a NATO exercise in Greenland and is ready to contribute to it, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said on Wednesday.
News of the request comes as US President Donald Trump barrels into Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, where he is likely to use the World Economic Forum to escalate his push for acquiring Greenland despite European protests in the biggest fraying of transatlantic ties in decades.