Here's the latest
• Trump in Davos: US President Donald Trump unveiled his “Board of Peace” in Davos, Switzerland, with the signing ceremony attended by fewer than 20 countries. Trump said he wants the board, tasked with rebuilding Gaza and resolving global conflicts, to work with the United Nations, even as he criticized the UN for failing to live up to its potential.
• Ukraine talks: Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to two sources. US envoy Steve Witkoff said negotiations to end Russia’s war were “down to one issue,” which a European official confirmed to CNN was related to territory.
• Greenland deal progress: Trump announced yesterday the framework of a deal on Greenland had been formed after ruling out using military force to control the island. He said new tariffs would no longer be imposed on European nations opposing his ambitions. Here’s what we know about the deal.
Putin says he’ll discuss using Russia’s frozen assets to fund Board of Peace membership with US officials
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he will discuss using frozen assets to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace when he meets US representatives in Moscow.
Putin has not yet committed to joining the board, but has floated using Russian assets frozen in the US to pay the $1 billion fee for a permanent seat.
“We are prepared to allocate a billion dollars to this new structure, the Board of Peace, primarily to support the Palestinian people,” he said at the start of a meeting with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. “As I’ve already mentioned, this will come from funds frozen in the United States under the previous administration,” Putin said.
“I think this is entirely possible, we have discussed such options before with the US administration representatives, and today we are planning to meet in Moscow and also discuss this topic.”
US Special Envoy Jared Kushner and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are due in Moscow on Thursday for talks with Putin that will focus on a peace deal with Ukraine.
Trump's posturing over Greenland damaged transatlantic relationship, European officials say
Even though President Donald Trump backed away yesterday from his most potent threats for the US to take over Greenland, his posturing has damaged the transatlantic alliance, European officials told CNN.
One European diplomat described the last week as “a whirlwind of absurdity that damages transatlantic relations, distracts from Ukraine and makes China and Russia very happy.”
Similarly, Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch warned that NATO is “not out of the woods” yet after Trump walked back his threat to impose tariffs on European nations who opposed his Greenland ambitions.
“Let’s be very clear,” Busch told CNN. “The last few weeks — apart from a very turbulent first year — have been very damaging for the relationship between the European Union, Europe as a whole, and the US.”
Another European official struck a slightly more optimistic tone, noting that while “everything is transactional and unpleasant … we can still reach good results.”
CNN’s Jim Sciutto contributed reporting to this post.
"It's all happening": Trump basks in the pomp surrounding his new "Board of Peace"
President Donald Trump praised the members of his “Board of Peace” as “stars” in roughly 20 minutes of remarks ahead of his official signing ceremony, saying Thursday that they comprise “the biggest people, the most important people in the world.”
“When you use that genius that you have — that very unusual, very inspired genius — when you use that for peace, the opposite of peace has no chance,” he said.
Trump then sat on stage as the participating leaders came up one-by-one to sign the Board of Peace’s charter and exchange pleasantries.
“This is not just a ‘Board of Peace,’ this is a board of action,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a brief speech after signings. “It is going to be a successful effort, and you see it reflected here today among countries of different backgrounds from different parts of the world.”
In a video message played in the auditorium, Ali Shaath, chair of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, said that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza soon would be opening in both directions.
The ceremony kicked off a second day of meetings for Trump in Davos, with a handful of bilateral meetings expected over the next few hours. Trump is also slated to meet later with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, amid his continued efforts to negotiate a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
“Well, I just want to tell you it’s all happening,” Trump said as he concluded the event, calling Gaza a “beautiful piece of property.”
“What it could be for so many people, it’ll be so, so great,” he added. “People that are living so poorly are going to be living so well.”
Trump talks about Gaza reconstruction, says "I'm a real estate person at heart"
US President Donald Trump called Gaza a “beautiful piece of property” and said he is a “real estate person at heart” when talking about reconstruction of the war-torn strip.
Trump said “people are going to be living so well.”
“But it all began with a location – that’s the vision. They look out on the waters. And very few people are – very few places are like it,” he said.
Earlier, the president touted the administration’s ceasefire plan in Gaza and his son-in-law Jared Kushner outlined how they would work towards rebuilding the enclave.
Some context: Despite the October ceasefire, Israeli fire, severe aid restrictions, food insecurity and flash floods have continued to exacerbate the crisis in Gaza. Eleven people were killed in the enclave on Wednesday, including three journalists, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
And since the winter began, 10 babies and children have died of hypothermia, it said, including a three month old baby who died Thursday. More than 400 people have been killed since the ceasefire overall.
This post has been updated with additional information.
Kushner pitches Gaza's "amazing potential" in outlining peace and redevelopment plan
Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, said Thursday that Gaza has “amazing potential” in a presentation outlining the administration’s ambitions for achieving permanent peace and rebuilding the region.
Kushner acknowledged at the outset that “peace is a different deal than a business deal.” But in a series of slides projected on screen in Davos, he laid out a “master plan” for redeveloping Gaza, saying the administration does “not have a plan B” beyond its multi-step effort to end the war and transform the region.
He stressed that much of that plan relies on Hamas demilitarizing, vowing that the US is “going to enforce” that part of the ceasefire agreement.
“If Hamas does not demilitarize, that will be what holds back Gaza and the people of Gaza from achieving their aspiration,” Kushner said.
The president’s son-in-law also urged attendees to put aside their skepticism and any rivalries with fellow nations on the “Board of Peace,” asking them to “just calm down for 30 days.”
NATO chief expects NATO allies to step up Arctic security this year under framework deal agreed with Trump
NATO chief Mark Rutte said the framework of a deal he discussed with President Donald Trump calls for NATO allies to increase their Arctic security measures, and expects results this year.
“We will come together in NATO with our senior commanders to work out what is necessary,” Rutte told Reuters at the World Economic Forum. “I have no doubt we can do this quite fast. Certainly, I would hope for 2026, I hope even early in 2026.”
He added that this push for Arctic security would not divert resources away from Ukraine.
Rutte also said that he and Trump did not discuss mining rare earth minerals in Greenland during the meeting which resulted in the US President backing away from his threat to impose tariffs on European nations who opposed his ambitions.
Earlier today in Davos, Rutte said he and Trump had discussed how NATO nations could “collectively make sure the Arctic stays safe (and) that the Russians and the Chinese stay out.”
Rutte also previously said Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland wasn’t discussed during his conversation with Trump, and a NATO spokesperson said he did not propose any “compromise” to Danish sovereignty in the talks.
CNN’s Todd Symons, Martin Goillandeau and Michael Rios contributed reporting.
Rubio says Board of Peace is about action, not "strongly worded letters"
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the newly founded Board of Peace a group of leaders “that are about action” rather than “strongly-worded letters”
Rubio said the board’s work in Gaza can “serve as an example” of what it can do.
“If we put the time and the effort that it requires – that I know this board will do – but I also think it will serve as an example of what’s possible in other parts of the world without losing focus on what’s before us now,” he said.
Stock markets rise after Trump dials down threats over Greenland
European stocks rose Thursday and US stock futures also pointed to a stronger open, building on a rally logged the previous day after US President Donald struck a more conciliatory note on Greenland.
Dow futures climbed 0.4%, S&P500 futures were up 0.6% and tech-heavy Nasdaq futures gained 0.8%. The benchmark STOXX Europe 600 index, which tracks stocks across the region, rose 1.2%.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said Wednesday he wouldn’t use force to take Greenland, having previously refused to rule that out. Later in the day, he announced he’d reached a “framework of a future deal” on the territory following a meeting with the NATO secretary general and also that the tariffs he’d threatened to impose next month were off.
This all came as a relief to officials and investors, even though Trump remained firm that he would accept nothing less than full ownership of Greenland — a semiautonomous territory of Denmark .
Denmark’s OMX Copenhagen 20, which tracks the 20 most actively traded shares on Copenhagen’s stock exchange, jumped 2.3% Thursday.
“From the market point of view, it’s the classic TACO trade,” he added, referring to the so-called “Trump Always Chickens Out” trade.
Trump says he wants "Board of Peace" to work alongside the UN
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants his new “Board of Peace” to work “in conjunction” with the United Nations, even as he criticized the UN for failing to live up to its potential.
Trump had previously suggested that the “Board of Peace,” which he formed chiefly to help rebuild Gaza, “might” eventually replace the UN. But on Thursday he said he wanted the two to work in combination, contending it could result in “something very, very unique for the world.”
Still, he had harsh words for the UN’s current performance, claiming it had played little role in mediating conflicts that Trump counts among the so-called wars he believes he’s ended.
“On the eight wars that I ended, I never spoke to the United Nations, not any of them,” Trump said. “They tried, I guess, and some of them, but they didn’t try hard enough.”
Trump says "Board of Peace" has started and "running beautifully"
President Donald Trump announced the “Board of Peace” has started work already and “it’s running beautifully.”
“We have a great group of people and incredible young people that are leading it from within,” he said during the announcement of the board in Davos.
The unveiled members include few of the United States’ European allies, and Trump said of the collected group, “I like, actually, this group. I like every single one of them. Can you believe it?” and added “Usually I have two or three that I don’t like. I don’t find them up here.”
Trump also touted the work on a peace plan for the conflict in Gaza, saying, “we released a plan for the permanent end to the conflict in Gaza, and I’m pleased to say that our vision was unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council late last year.”
This post has been corrected to reflect that few European countries attended.
Trump opens "Board of Peace" ceremony with boasts about the US economy and threats toward Hamas
US President Donald Trump opened a ceremony dedicated to his international “Board of Peace” with a digression focused on domestic politics, boasting about the US’ economic growth as more than a dozen world leaders looked on.
“We have a great mandate back at home, as I said yesterday the US economy is booming,” he said. “When America booms, the entire world booms.”
Trump went on to strike a similarly optimistic note on foreign affairs, claiming the world is now “more peaceful” than it was prior to his administration and insisting that his “Board of Peace” would soon help negotiate a lasting peace in Gaza.
Yet despite that, Trump referred to Hamas as made up of those who “were born with rifles in their hands,” again threatening aggression if it refuses a peace deal.
“They have to give up their weapons, and if they don’t do that, it’s going to be the end of them,” he said.
Trump's "Board of Peace" ceremony attended by fewer than 20 nations — and very few European allies
President Donald Trump’s signing ceremony for his new “Board of Peace” featured representatives from fewer than 20 countries — and few of the US’ European allies.
The nations represented on stage in Davos skewed heavily toward the Middle East and South America, with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina and Paraguay among those attending. The leader of Hungary, Viktor Orban, was among the leaders who appeared on stage with Trump.
“We are truly honored by your presence today,” Trump said, referring to them as in “most cases very popular leaders, some cases not so popular.”
The total number of attendees is fewer than the roughly 35 that a senior administration official predicted to reporters earlier this week. And it did not include any Western European nations, some of whom have raised concerns over the idea of a board dedicated to peace that might involve adversaries like Russia currently at war with one of their allies.
CORRECTION: This post has been corrected to note that Hungary’s Viktor Orban attended the ceremony.
Denmark cannot negotiate when it comes to sovereignty, prime minister says
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark cannot negotiate on its sovereignty after President Donald Trump’s announcement that a framework for a deal on Greenland had been formed.
“We can negotiate on all political issues: security, investments, economics. But we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty,” Frederiksen said in a statement on Thursday.
Frederiksen has consistently opposed Trump’s calls for the US to take over Greenland – an autonomous Arctic territory which is part of Denmark.
Following a discussion with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump announced the framework and said he would no longer impose new tariffs on European nations that opposed his Greenland ambitions.
Rutte said Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland wasn’t discussed during his conversation with Trump, and a NATO spokesperson said he did not propose any “compromise” to Danish sovereignty in the talks.
When Trump unsettles European leaders when he "moves the goalposts" on demands, expert says
US President Donald Trump’s tendency to unexpectedly change the terms of his demands makes negotiations challenging for European leaders, said Peter Frankopan, an Oxford University Global History Professor.
One of the reasons Europeans have felt so disconcerted is that “Trump keeps on moving the goalposts,” he told CNN’s Rosemary Church on Thursday.
Trump had threatened to take over Greenland and impose an additional 35% tariff on countries opposed to his ambitions. Trump called off his threat yesterday after talks with NATO chief Mark Rutte, announcing a framework deal that will be negotiated with EU stakeholders.
Commenting on Trump’s moves to control Greenland, Frankopan described Trump as a “real-estate person” who is less interested in leasing and more concerned with ownership.
“But the problem is for us here in Europe, that sounds remarkably like how Putin talked about Crimea … and parts of Ukraine, in fact, all of Ukraine,” the expert said.
German Chancellor says world order is "unraveling at a breathtaking pace"
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Europe to renew its trust in NATO after US President Donald Trump’s threats to take control of Greenland destabilized the alliance, warning of a changing world order in his speech at the World Economic Forum.
After a week of diplomatic chaos unleashed by Trump’s demands for the US to acquire Greenland and his threats to impose tariffs on his European allies, Merz reiterated Germany’s support for Denmark and the Arctic Island.
“We support talks between Denmark and the US based on these principles,” he added, referencing Trump’s announcement that the framework of a deal on Greenland was formed.
He also welcomed Trump’s ruling out taking Greenland by force, and warned that any new tariffs would “undermine the foundations of transatlantic relations.”
Still, he sought to position NATO as crucial for allowing both the US and Europe to navigate a new world order increasingly dictated by force.
“We must invest massively in our ability to defend ourselves. We must rapidly make our economies competitive. We must stand closer together, among Europeans and among like-minded partners.”
Analysis: Is Trump’s Greenland reversal a "TACO" moment?
CNN’s Stephen Collinson breaks down why President Donald Trump suddenly backed down on demanding control of Greenland after addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Subscribers can read the full analysis here.
CNN's Stephen Collinson breaks down why President Donald Trump suddenly backed down on demanding control of Greenland after addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
UK will not sign "Board of Peace" charter, foreign secretary says
The UK will not sign US President Donald Trump’s so-called Board of Peace treaty due to its concerns about Russian involvement, the British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said Thursday.
Speaking to the BBC from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Cooper said that the UK supported Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza and they have made it “clear we want to play our part in phase two of the Gaza peace process.”
But when asked if the UK would join the Board of Peace, she said: “There’s a huge amount of work to do.”
We won’t be one of the signatories today, because this is about a legal treaty that raises much broader issues, and we do also have concerns about (Russian President Vladimir) Putin being part of something, which is talking about peace, when we have still not seen any signs from Putin that there will be a commitment to peace in Ukraine,” Cooper said.
China threat against Greenland is unfounded, Beijing says
Beijing said on Thursday that the idea China poses a threat to Greenland was “completely unfounded,” responding to reports that NATO and US President Donald Trump had discussed keeping China and Russia from gaining a foothold on the Arctic territory.
At an event in Davos on Thursday, NATO chief Mark Rutte said he and Trump had previously discussed how NATO nations could “collectively make sure that the Arctic stays safe [and] that the Russians and the Chinese stay out.”
Ukraine’s Zelensky is on his way to Davos
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is on his way to Davos, Switzerland, his office said.
Zelensky is expected to meet US President Donald Trump today on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Witkoff says negotiations on Ukraine-Russia peace deal "down to one issue"
President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday that negotiations to hammer out a Russia-Ukraine peace deal were “down to one issue.”
A European official confirmed to CNN the remaining issue Witkoff referred to was territory.
Witkoff is set to travel to Moscow for talks later on Thursday.
“Time to end this,” he said. “I think we’re going to get it done.”
Watch Witkoff’s remark:
On Wednesday, Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov.
Their discussions focused on economic development, post-war plans for Ukraine, and security guarantees, Umerov said.
