European leaders took the stage ahead of Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, seeking to present a united front as the U.S. president dangled tariff threats in a bid to pressure the European Union over Greenland.
Trump is set to dominate the week at the Swiss ski resort, with a large U.S. delegation already promoting an “America First” agenda that runs against the grain of the global order cherished by the WEF. He will deliver a speech tomorrow and participate in other events on Thursday.
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the forum today, joined by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney — leaders whose countries have had their own disputes with Trump. Von der Leyen said she met a bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation in Davos and “addressed the need to unequivocally respect the sovereignty of Greenland and of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, leading the American contingent, warned that EU retaliation “would be very unwise,” signaling Washington intends to maintain pressure even as Europe calls for de-escalation.
French officials said Macron will depart Davos without meeting Trump. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would seek to meet the U.S. president at the forum tomorrow, adding that Germany and other European countries agree “that we want to avoid any escalation in this dispute if at all possible.”
Leaders from across the 27-nation bloc plan to convene an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday to discuss their response to what several officials described as one of the gravest crises in years for transatlantic ties.
In Davos, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb condemned the use of tariff threats within the alliance. “Tariff threats at the allied level are unacceptable. They weaken our transatlantic relationship and, in the worst case, can lead to a vicious cycle,” he said. Asked if the United States might use force, Stubb added: “I don’t believe that the United States will take control of Greenland militarily.”
Denmark has proposed that NATO begin surveillance operations in Greenland to address security concerns, underscoring how a remote Arctic territory has become a flashpoint in U.S.-European relations and a test of alliance cohesion.
Other prominent leaders used their WEF appearances to recalibrate amid the shifting landscape. Canada’s Carney — whose government has faced U.S. tariffs — recently sought to reduce reliance on the United States, turning the page on years of tensions with China and securing a preliminary trade agreement to lower tariffs during a visit to Beijing last week. China’s He Lifeng, whose country has had long-running trade spats with Trump, will also address the forum.
The U.S. has sent an unusually large delegation to Davos, a move meant to amplify its presence at a gathering of top political and business figures. Bessent and other officials are participating in panels at the Congress Centre and at “USA House,” a high-profile venue set inside an old church along the town’s glitzy promenade.
Beyond transatlantic tensions and trade, the Davos agenda is crowded with crises — from Venezuela and Gaza to Ukraine and Iran — that loom over markets and diplomacy. Yet with Europe searching for unity and Washington signaling it won’t back down, the debate over Greenland and tariffs is poised to set the tone for the week.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
