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LAST UPDATE | 59 mins ago
DONALD TRUMP IS on his way to Davos amid a standoff with European leaders over his bid to take over Greenland.
The US President mocked the Europeans a day before heading to the World Economic Forum (WEF), where he will be the main focus due to his continued insistence that he has to take the autonomous Danish territory.
But leaders gathered at the Swiss ski resort have closed ranks against Trump’s aggressive stance, with French President Emmanuel Macron vowing to stand up against “bullies” and the EU promising an “unflinching” response.
Asked how far he was prepared to go to acquire Greenland from Denmark, a fellow Nato member, Trump told reporters: “You’ll find out.”
Later as he left the White House, the Republican leader admitted he had “no idea” how the trip to Davos would pan out.
His trip got off to a bad start after his presidential plane Air Force One was forced to turn back to its air base shortly after takeoff.
The White House said the return was out of an abundance of caution due to what officials described as a “minor electrical issue.” Journalists traveling with Trump reported that lights in the cabin went out briefly after takeoff.
The US President and his entourage changed planes at Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington and took off again shortly after midnight (5am Irish time), about two-and-a-half hours after his initial departure.
His eagerly awaited speech at the annual gathering of the world’s economic and political elite, which he is attending for the first time in six years, is scheduled for 1.30pm Irish time.
However, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said he will be about three hours late.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin is also due in Davos today. He will address the annual IDA Dinner today before taking part in engagements tomorrow, including a WEF panel discussion titled: ‘Europe is Treading Water – How Can it Make Waves?’.
Martin described the WEF as “an opportunity to meet with international leaders and business leaders to discuss how we can work together to best address geopolitical and economic challenges.”
He also said he was looking forward to meeting with business leaders with a presence in Ireland.
Meeting fellow finance ministers ahead of the conference earlier this week, Tánaiste Simon Harris said the next number of days would be “crucial” for EU-US relations and now was the time for “cool heads”.
As the biggest rift opens between Washington and Europe in decades over his Greenland ambitions, Trump said he would have a number of meetings on the issue at Davos.
Trump continues to insist that mineral-rich Greenland is vital for US and Nato security against Russia and China.
He has threatened to impose 10% tariffs on eight European countries for backing Denmark, which would grow to 25% in June.
Europe is continuing to mull its response to the threat, with Germany and France supporting the idea of using the bloc’s anti-coercion instrument - known as the ‘trade bazooka’ - against the US.
But Trump has already dismissed this possibility. “Anything they do with us… all I have to do is meet it and it’s going to go ricocheting backward,” he said in an interview with News Nation.
“But we’re not looking into that. We’ll probably be able to work something out, possibly even during the next few days.”
At Davos yesterday, Macron, in sunglasses because of a burst blood vessel, warned against US attempts to “subordinate Europe”, and blasted Trump’s tariff threats as “unacceptable.”
Macron was the subject of Trump’s mockery as he publicly revealed a text message from the French leader proposing a G7 summit in Paris on Thursday on Greenland as well as Ukraine.
Trump later said he would not join any such meeting, while Macron clarified to AFP that no gathering was scheduled.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meanwhile warned that Trump risked plunging US ties with the European Union into a “downward spiral”.
And Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney – who has sought to reduce his own country’s dependence on Washington since Trump called for it to become the 51st US state – won a standing ovation at Davos for his stance.
“Canada stands firmly with Greenland and Denmark,” Carney said.
In his Davos speech, the White House said Trump wanted to focus on the US economy amid a cost of living crisis that threatens his Republicans in the 2026 midterms.
But the US president’s extraordinary assertion of US power on the world stage one year into his second term means Greenland will form the backdrop to the address.
Greenland’s prime minister said on Tuesday his tiny population of 57,000 must be prepared for military force.
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda told AFP at Davos that any such move by the US against a fellow ally “would be the end of Nato.”
Trump said he had done “more for Nato than anyone” and questioned whether allies would help the US – despite the fact that Denmark was among those who did after the 9/11 attacks in September 2001.
Separately, Trump is set to formally announce the first charter of his so-called ‘Board of Peace,’ a body for resolving international conflicts with a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership.
The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, but a draft of the charter does not appear to limit its role to the occupied Palestinian territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed today that he has accepted an invitation to join the board, which will be chaired by Trump himself.
Dozens of countries and leaders have said they have received an invitation, including Russian president Vladimir Putin.
France has indicated it will not join.
While announcing the creation of the board last week, Trump also unveiled plans to establish a “Gaza Executive Board” operating under the body.
The executive board would include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi.
Netanyahu has strongly objected to their inclusion.
Ties between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023 following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel.
With reporting from © AFP 2026
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