What you need to know
• Trump en route to Davos: After a travel delay, US President Donald Trump is headed to Switzerland to address the World Economic Forum and meet with world leaders. Trump had to return to the US and switch planes due to a “minor electrical issue,” according to a White House official.
• Greenland showdown: European officials are planning to use the forum to stage a diplomatic intervention to cool tensions over Greenland that have put the continent on edge and may now threaten the survival of NATO, three sources told CNN.
• “Board of Peace”: Trump said that his “Board of Peace,” tasked with rebuilding Gaza, might replace the UN, which he criticized as being ineffective in ending wars. Trump could serve as an indefinite chairman of the board, according to the charter draft.
Lutnick downplays concerns over Greenland, saying Trump and Europe will "work it out"
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick downplayed concerns over President Donald Trump’s push to own Greenland, saying today that he expects the US to work out an agreement with European leaders on the issue.
Lutnick’s remarks came after he wrote in a Financial Times op-ed published Wednesday morning that “we’re not going to Davos to uphold the status quo. We’re going to confront it head-on.”
He also dismissed criticism over Trump’s effort to acquire Greenland, arguing it wouldn’t amount to a takeover of another sovereign country.
“I don’t remember Greenland being another country. We’re not taking over Denmark,” he told Fox Business. “It’s just, Greenland is in our hemisphere. It’s far, far away from Denmark.”
What are Europe's options for responding to Trump?
The options Europe has publicly outlined for responding to Trump’s tariff threats and calls for the US to annex Greenland focus on diplomatic and economic levers. Choosing between them depends on the continent’s willingness to face off against its powerful NATO ally.
Trade bazooka
The European Union has not ruled out using its nuclear option – the so-called “trade bazooka.” This is Europe’s biggest trade weapon, a measure that was adopted in 2023 with countries like China in mind, not allies like the US.
It is an anti-coercion tool and can be triggered if a country tries to coerce the EU or one of its member states by using “measures affecting trade or investment.”
If the EU uses it, it could block some of America’s access to EU markets or impose export controls but, given its bureaucratic nature, could take months to implement.
It’s a measure of absolute last resort and has never been used before.
Ripping up a trade deal
Powerful blocs in the European Parliament have now indicated their unwillingness to approve the US-EU trade deal that was agreed last year.
And the EU is also considering imposing €93 billion ($108 billion) of previously announced retaliatory tariffs against the United States that were delayed by that trade deal, according to Reuters.
Diplomacy
Europe and NATO have been seeking to engage with Trump, with some leaders messaging him directly. Trump leaked some of those texts earlier this week, offering a rare insight into exactly how this process works.
NATO chief Mark Rutte sought to flatter Trump, opening his message with “Mr. President dear Donald – what you accomplished in Syria today is incredible,” before adding, “I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland.”
French President Emmanuel Macron struck a similar tone and listed options for multilateral and bilateral meetings when Trump visits Europe for Davos on Wednesday. It is unclear whether those meetings were arranged.
The flurry of diplomacy has appeared to influence Trump a little, even if it hasn’t convinced him to abandon his push for Greenland. According to a senior British official, Trump conceded in a phone call with Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he may have been given “bad information” on the European deployment of troops to Greenland.
CNN’s Lex Harvey, Martin Goillandeau and Auzinea Bacon contributed reporting.
"Putin hopes Greenland is the iceberg that sinks NATO," says former Danish PM
As the transatlantic relationship fractures and President Trump prioritizes a US acquisition of Greenland, the only “winners” can be China and Russia, according to a former NATO Secretary General.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who also served as the prime minister of Denmark between 2001 and 2009, told CNN’s Rahel Solomon that Europe must unite in pursuit of independence from its partnership with the US as Trump is “eroding the transatlantic relationship” and “creating a lack of trust.”
Rasmussen expressed regret over the damage already done to the alliance, “I have admired the United States as a politician … as prime minister and secretary general of NATO,” Rasmussen said, adding that he has worked alongside US presidents for much of his career.
“I have always considered the US a natural leader of the free world. So, for me, it’s a very painful process,” the diplomat said of Europe’s apparent decision to move away from its reliance on the US, adding that many of his European allies share this sentiment.
The one-time NATO secretary general stated concern for the organization. “If the United States initiates military action against Greenland, it would be the end of NATO,” he asserted, “We would have to build our own European NATO … to protect Europe.”
The statesman reiterated his criticism of Trump’s move to acquire Greenland, and suggested that Trump’s choice benefits Russian President Vladimir Putin, “The only winners of this transatlantic split … are Putin and Xi Jinping. I think Putin hopes that Greenland can be the iceberg that sinks NATO.”
Europe must focus on US relationships that go beyond Trump, according to a global affairs expert
Europe should manage its relationship with the United States to protect the partnership beyond the presidential term of Donald Trump, rather than seeking independence from the nation, according to the CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Speaking with CNN’s Rosemary Church on Wednesday, the organization’s president Leslie Vinjamuri said that while she believes Trump is “very serious” about his position on Greenland, the next step for Europe is “managing and delaying and kicking this issue down the road” for as long as possible.
European leaders have scrambled to exercise damage control as Trump’s threats of military action in Greenland, and tariffs on NATO nations who oppose him, have intensified. But Vinjamuri said this has been a challenge for Europe.
She added, “There’s been real movement in Europe, but unfortunately, during this president’s term, the likelihood that Europeans will develop the capabilities that they need … to be fully independent in a meaningful way from the United States is quite low.”
Vinjamuri said Europe should concentrate on nurturing its relationship with powerful figures throughout the country who she said are both in and out of government, “Those are the relationships that Europeans … should be focusing on, because this relationship will continue long past Donald Trump.”
"Sit down and wait" for Trump to get to Davos, US treasury secretary tells Europe
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said European countries pushing back on the US attempts to acquire Greenland should “sit down and wait” for President Donald Trump to arrive at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland and “listen to his argument.”
“Why don’t they sit down, wait for President Trump to get here and listen to his argument? Because I think they’re going to be persuaded.”
On Sunday, Bessent appeared to confirm perceptions that the administration thinks the US is so strong it can take what it wants.
CNN’s Stephen Collinson and Lex Harvey contributed to this report.
European leaders underline intention to defend themselves against Trump's threats over Greenland
Europe’s top officials have underlined their intention to defend themselves against coercion, highlighting US-European cooperation on Arctic security as President Donald Trump’s calls to annex Greenland threaten the foundations of their transatlantic alliance.
But Costa also spoke about a “shared transatlantic desire for peace and security in the Arctic,” adding that the best avenue for that was through NATO.
In her address to the European Parliament, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe had to accelerate its push for independence as the world changes around it.
“We now live in a world defined by raw power,” she said today, calling on Europe to adapt to that. “In this increasingly lawless world, Europe needs its own levers of power.”
She reiterated Europe’s position that Greenland’s future is “only for the Greenlanders to decide,” and outlined examples of US-European cooperation on Arctic security.
Is China the great stabilizer at the World Economic Forum?
As President Donald Trump threatens to take over Greenland and slap Europe with new tariffs, China is seizing the moment at Davos, casting itself as the world’s stable trade superpower. CNN’s Mike Valerio reports from Beijing on why more Western leaders are paying attention to China’s offers.
As President Trump threatens to take over Greenland and slap Europe with new tariffs, China is seizing the moment at Davos - casting itself as the world’s stable trade superpower. CNN’s Mike Valerio reports from Beijing on why more Western leaders are paying attention to China's offers.
Tense diplomacy over Greenland awaits Trump in Davos. Here's the latest
US President Donald Trump’s journey to Switzerland hit a snag after take-off when he had to switch aircraft due to electrical problems.
But after what turned out to be a minor setback, he is once again en route to Davos, where a potentially explosive World Economic Forum has kicked off amid US-EU tensions over Greenland that are expected to dominate talks.
Top European officials are aiming to deploy a diplomatic intervention to avert a fast-blooming crisis that has put the continent on edge, three sources told CNN.
Get caught up on the latest:
- Trump said he has “a lot of meetings” scheduled in Davos to discuss the territory and suggested he could use tools beyond tariffs to get control of the Arctic island. Trump noted that tariffs remain his preferred approach. US markets had the worst day since October as investors weighed Trump’s Greenland threats.
- Trump also said NATO “is going to be very happy” with what he works out on Greenland, and that the people who live on the Arctic island will be on board with the US acquiring it once he speaks to them. Thousands of Greenlanders protested over the weekend against the takeover.
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is already in Davos, said European countries pushing back on the US attempts to acquire Greenland should “sit down and wait” for Trump to arrive.
- French President Emmanuel Macron gave a thinly veiled critique of Trump’s foreign policy, warning of a world “where international law is trampled underfoot.” His swipe came after Trump shared a private message from Macron that reads: “I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland.” Trump said he would not attend a an emergency Group of 7 summit proposed by Macron.
- France said it had asked for a NATO exercise in Greenland and is ready to contribute to it. France, along other European nations, has deployed a number of military personnel to Greenland over the past week to participate in a separate joint exercise led by Denmark.
- Greenland isn’t Trump’s only focus. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted Trump’s invitation to join the “Board of Peace” tasked with rebuilding Gaza. The controversial initiative is part of Trump’s plan to form a committee that could be expanded to tackle conflicts elsewhere.
- Trump said the board might replace the UN, which he criticized as being ineffective in ending wars. Trump could serve as an indefinite chairman of the board, according to the charter draft. The UN relief chief said his organization “isn’t going anywhere.”
- Trump has escalated his warnings to Iran. Asked in a NewsNation interview to respond to recent warnings from Iranian officials, Trump said: “Well, they shouldn’t be doing it, but I’ve left notification that anything ever happens, we’re going to blow them up. The whole country is going to get blown up.”
Air Force One delay makes for rocky start to Davos trip
President Donald Trump is once again on his way to Davos, Switzerland, aboard a backup plane, after a technical issue forced Air Force One to return to Joint Base Andrews.
Air Force One had been in the air for about an hour when it turned around due to a “minor electrical issue,” according to the White House, which said the decision was made out of an abundance of caution.
The plane landed safely in Maryland just after 11 p.m. ET and Trump was wheels up in a new aircraft used as Air Force One roughly an hour later, en route to the World Economic Forum.
After the original aircraft landed, staffers scrambled to transfer luggage between the planes while crew quickly moved boxes of fruit, and wrapped sandwiches and beverages, according to pool reporters, a group of journalists who accompany the president during travels.
Air Force One was forced to turn around shortly after takeoff from Joint Base Andrews after what the White House says was “a minor electrical issue.”
CEOs are worried about Greenland threats
The new tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump over Greenland are creating damaging uncertainty for companies on both sides of the Atlantic. CNN’s Richard Quest reports.
France asks for NATO exercise in Greenland
France has asked for a NATO exercise in Greenland and is ready to contribute to it, the Elysee Palace told CNN on Wednesday.
France, along other European nations, has deployed a number of military personnel to Greenland over the past week to participate in a separate joint exercise led by Denmark.
It comes as US President Donald Trump ramps up his threats to forcibly annex the Arctic island. His declarations have thrown Europe’s decades-old, US-led security alliance into crisis.
CNN has sought a response from NATO.
What is a NATO exercise? They are scheduled by a NATO commander and can vary in scope, from a few officers to “full-scale combat scenarios involving aircraft, navy ships, artillery pieces, armoured vehicles and thousands of troops,” according to NATO’s website.
NATO countries support the exercises by providing national commitments in the form of troops, equipment or other types of support. “The participating countries are normally responsible for funding any form of national contribution,” NATO says.
How will world leaders handle Trump’s Greenland ambitions in Davos?
As President Donald Trump continues to press the Greenland issue, world leaders he is set to meet with in Davos, Switzerland, must decide how to handle Trump’s threats to acquire the territory. CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reports.
As President Donald Trump continues to press the Greenland issue, world leaders he is set to meet with in Davos, Switzerland, must decide how to handle Trump's threats to acquire the territory. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports.
Here's what Trump had to say about Greenland and European allies ahead of traveling to Davos
US President Donald Trump provided some insight yesterday into his mindset ahead of traveling to Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum, as tensions escalate over his bid to acquire Greenland.
Trump said he has “a lot of meetings” scheduled over the coming days to discuss Greenland, but that they won’t include an emergency Group of 7 summit proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Here’s what else Trump said:
- Alternative tactics: Trump suggested he could use tools beyond tariffs to acquire Greenland, delivering a veiled warning as the Supreme Court weighs the legality of his trade moves. “You’ll find out,” Trump replied when a reporter asked how far he would be willing to go to secure control of the Arctic island. He noted that tariffs are still his preferred approach.
- NATO: Trump said that NATO “is going to be very happy” with what he works out on Greenland, without providing specifics. This is after he cast doubt on whether NATO would come to the US’ defense and claimed to have done more for the alliance than “any other person.”
- Trump downplays Greenland’s resistance: Trump also suggested the people of Greenland will be on board with the US acquiring the Arctic territory, despite Greenlanders making it clear they are opposed to the move. “I haven’t spoken to them. When I speak to them, I’m sure they’ll be thrilled,” he said.
CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo, Kevin Liptak and Samantha Waldenberg contributed to this report.
Trump will address the World Economic Forum today
President Donald Trump will speak at the World Economic Forum in a few hours.
His appearance in Davos, Switzerland comes as tensions with European allies rise over his bid to acquire the Arctic territory of Greenland.
The president departed for Davos yesterday and told reporters that he has “a lot of meetings” scheduled over the next few days to discuss Greenland.
We will bring you Trump’s remarks as they happen.
