Macron says Europe will not bow to ‘bullies’ as allies slam tariffs over Greenland
· France 2421/01/2026 - 04:18
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21/01/2026 - 02:06
Trump heads for Davos maelstrom over Greenland
US President Donald Trump descends on Davos for a showdown with European leaders Wednesday as his bid to seize Greenland threatens to tear the transatlantic alliance apart.
Trump brutally mocked the Europeans a day before heading to the World Economic Forum, where he will be the star of a dark, self-made drama over the fate of the autonomous Danish territory.
But leaders in the Swiss ski resort have closed ranks against Trump's aggressive America First stance, with French President Emmanuel Macron vowing to stand up against "bullies" and the EU promising an "unflinching" response.
"I'm going to a beautiful place in Switzerland where I'm sure I'm very happily awaited for," Trump said with a smile at a White House briefing to mark his first year back in power, before leaving for Davos.
Asked how far he was prepared to go to acquire Greenland from Denmark, a fellow NATO member, Trump replied: "You'll find out."
21/01/2026 - 01:03
UK and Denmark to discuss Arctic security at defence talks
Britain and Denmark will hold defence talks on Wednesday focusing on security in the Arctic region, the British government said, at a time when US President Donald Trump's designs on Greenland threaten to upend historic alliances.
20/01/2026 - 21:48
Will work out something to make US and NATO 'very happy': Trump on Greenland
The United States and NATO will come to an agreement on the future of Greenland that will satisfy both sides, US President Donald Trump told a press conference on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Trump had said there was "no going back" on his goal to control Greenland, refusing to rule out taking the Arctic island by force.
"I think that we will work something out where NATO is going to be very happy and where we're going to be very happy, but we need it for security purposes," he said, adding that the alliance would not be very strong without the United States.
20/01/2026 - 21:23
Trump says he wouldn't join G7 meeting in Paris suggested by Macron
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not attend an emergency meeting of G7 nations to discuss the war in Ukraine that was proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, but which the French leader later said would not take place this week.
Trump was asked at a White House briefing about a "private message" from the French leader -- suggesting an emergency G7 gathering in Paris -- that the US leader posted on his Truth Social network earlier on Tuesday.
Asked if he would be open to such a meeting, Trump told reporters: "No, I wouldn't do that."
20/01/2026 - 20:57
EU vows 'unflinching' response to Trump's Greenland gambit
20/01/2026 - 18:48
Europe can't afford to be weak towards its enemies or allies, says Polish PM
Appeasement is always a sign of weakness and Europe cannot afford to be weak, either against its enemies or allies, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday on the social media platform X, without naming any specific countries.
"Appeasement means no results, only humiliation. European assertiveness and self-confidence have become the need of the moment," he added.
20/01/2026 - 18:08
Trump says he has saved NATO from 'ash heap of history'
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that NATO continues to exist thanks to him, as European leaders meeting in Davos vowed an "unflinching" response to his threats to take over Greenland.
"No single person, or President, has done more for NATO than President Donald J. Trump. If I didn't come along, there would be no NATO right now!!! It would have been in the ash heap of History. Sad, but TRUE!!!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, as the Greenland issue roiled the transatlantic defense alliance.
20/01/2026 - 17:01
Carney tells Davos Canada 'strongly opposes' tariffs over Greenland
Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday Canada strongly opposed any US tariffs over Trump's aim to take over Greenland.
"Canada strongly opposes tariffs over Greenland and calls for focused talks to achieve our shared objectives of security and prosperity in the Arctic," Carney said during an appearance at the World Economic Forum.
20/01/2026 - 16:35
20/01/2026 - 16:26
California governor urges Europe: Grow 'backbone' and 'punch' back at Trump
California Governor Gavin Newsom urged Europeans on Tuesday to stop playing nice with US President Donald Trump over Greenland, "develop a backbone" and "punch him in the face".
In blunt remarks to reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the prominent Democratic politician called Trump "weak" and said the European Union should "push back very aggressively" against the US leader.
20/01/2026 - 16:15
Trump publishes Macron's message, threatens French wine tariffs
20/01/2026 - 15:59
US stocks tumble on Trump tariff threat over Greenland
Wall Street stocks opened decisively lower Tuesday as fresh US tariff threats on Europe over Greenland boosted precious metals and weighed on equities and other riskier assets.
US President Donald Trump threatened tariffs of up to 25 percent on eight European countries, prompting vows of a European response over US "blackmail."
The US dollar fell, while yields on US Treasury bonds jumped.
20/01/2026 - 15:43
UK's finance minister Reeves calls for Greenland de-escalation
Britain's finance minister Rachel Reeves said on Tuesday that it was important to de-escalate the situation over Greenland, the island which US President Donald Trump has said his country should own.
"We absolutely want to de-escalate," Reeves told a Bloomberg event at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "The future of Greenland is for the people of Greenland."
20/01/2026 - 15:20
NATO is a 'weakened institution', France's Macron says
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that the NATO military alliance was now a "weakened institution" in the context of US President Donald Trump's aim to take over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory.
20/01/2026 - 14:55
Watch French President Emmanuel Macron's full speech at Davos Forum
20/01/2026 - 14:45
'World order' at stake from Trump's Greenland threat, ex-NATO chief says
NATO is facing the biggest crisis in its history over Donald Trump's Greenland threats, and the time for "flattering" the US leader is over, former alliance chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen told AFP Tuesday.
"It's not only a crisis for NATO, it's a crisis for the transatlantic community at large," Rasmussen said in an interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos. "It is the future of NATO and the future of the world order that are at stake."
20/01/2026 - 14:44
US Treasury Secretary Bessent tells Davos Europe shouldn't retaliate over Greenland
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday warned European countries not to retaliate over Trump's aim to take over Greenland and urged them to "have an open mind."
"I tell everyone, sit back. Take a deep breath. Do not retaliate. ... The president will be here tomorrow, and he will get his message across," Bessent said during an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
20/01/2026 - 14:38
Key quotes from French President Emmanuel Macron at Davos
- "Europe needs more Chinese investment in key European sectors."
- "Europe may be slow, but it's predictable and has a rule of law."
- "We do believe that we need more growth, we need more stability in this world, but we do prefer respect to bullies. "
- "We do prefer science to (conspiracies) and we do prefer rule of law to brutality."
- "It's ... a shift towards a world without rules, where international law is trampled underfoot and where the only law that seems to matter is that of the strongest."
- "The crazy thing is we can be put in a situation where we have to use the anti-coercion instrument towards the US."
- "It doesn't make sense to threaten allies with tariffs."
20/01/2026 - 14:35
Greenland's PM says use of force against island can't be ruled out
The leader of Greenland said that, while the use of military force against the Arctic island was "not likely", it needed to be prepared in light of US President Donald Trump's threats to take the island.
"It's unlikely that military force will be used, but it cannot be ruled out either. The other party has said so clearly," Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told a press conference in Nuuk, the main city in the Danish autonomous territory.
"That's why we must be ready for all possibilities, but let's emphasise this: Greenland is part of NATO and, if there were to be an escalation, it would also have consequences for the rest of the world," Nielsen added.
Yesterday's key developments:
- EU chief Ursula von der Leyen stressed the "need to respect Greenland sovereignty" to a US Congress delegation at Davos.
- NATO will keep working with Denmark and Greenland on security, the military alliance's Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
- Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Monday said he received a message from Trump about rising tensions over Greenland in which the US president reportedly said he no longer felt obligated to think purely of peace since he did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)