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In typical fashion, the timing couldn’t have been more dramatic.
Trump is scheduled to speak in Davos on Wednesday, stepping into a venue packed with global elites, corporate executives, and political power brokers—many of whom are already bracing for a new era of confrontation with the United States. The annual gathering is hosted by the World Economic Forum, a Switzerland-based organization that draws leaders from politics, business, academia, and activism to discuss global economic, political, and social priorities.
But this year, the conversation isn’t expected to be dominated by climate talking points or corporate pledges.
Instead, the U.S. and Trump are poised to steal the spotlight, with Germany, France, Norway, and other major European players watching closely as tensions rise across the Atlantic. European leaders are reportedly anxious heading into meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, concerned not only about trade disputes, but also about the growing Arctic standoff surrounding Greenland.
Trump has been warning allies that the time for hesitation is over.
The president has pushed European governments to reach an agreement on Greenland by February 1, signaling there will be “consequences” if the deal doesn’t move forward. And hanging over the Davos summit is the threat of sweeping tariffs that could punish Europe’s largest economies.
Under the conditions being discussed, if no agreement is reached by February, goods from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom would be hit with a 10% tariff. If the standoff continues and no deal is reached by June 1, those penalties would jump to 25%—a massive escalation that would send shockwaves through European markets.
Not surprisingly, several European leaders have rejected the pressure campaign, insisting NATO allies can coordinate without surrendering to demands tied to Greenland. Greenland, a Danish territory that governs most of its internal affairs, sits in the Arctic Circle between North America and Europe—and it has become increasingly strategic as Russia and China expand their Arctic ambitions.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is vital for U.S. national security, pointing to the region’s growing importance for global power competition. During the Cold War, Greenland served as a crucial outpost because it sat along the shortest routes between North America and the Soviet Union—making it a key early-warning zone for missile detection.
Now, as the World Economic Forum summit unfolds, some European officials worry the growing tensions could rupture U.S.-EU relations at a moment when the West is already facing pressure from hostile powers.
The tariff threats are especially controversial because the U.S. and the European Union previously agreed to a full trade framework in 2025 that set a 15% tariff on most EU exports—an arrangement European leaders believed had stabilized the relationship.
And from Davos itself, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a pointed reminder that Europe sees this as more than political theater.
“The European Union and the United States agreed to a trade deal last July,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said from Davos on Monday, according to The Associated Press. “And in politics as in business, a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something.”
She didn’t stop there.
“We consider the people of the United States not just our allies, but our friends. And plunging us into a downward spiral would only aid the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape,” she added.
Despite the rocky start in the air, Trump ultimately arrived safely in Davos around 8 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday—setting the stage for what could become one of the most tense World Economic Forum appearances in recent memory.
And with Greenland, tariffs, and geopolitical power plays looming over every meeting, Europe is learning fast that Trump isn’t traveling to Davos to play nice.
