Donald Trump will address world leaders at Davos today amid mounting tensions over his threats to seize Greenland, with European officials warning of a dangerous shift towards autocracy, according to a Guardian report.
The US president speaks at 2.30pm Davos time at the World Economic Forum, where he was originally expected to focus on domestic affordability policies including housing costs.
Trump changed tack after threatening tariffs against European countries that oppose his efforts to buy or seize Greenland. Last night he repeated his claim that the US needs the Danish territory for national security, replying “You’ll find out” when asked how far he would go to acquire it.
European leaders pushed back yesterday ahead of Trump’s arrival. France’s Emmanuel Macron warned of “a shift toward autocracy against democracy … a shift towards a world without rules where international law is trampled underfoot, where the only law seems to be the strongest and imperial ambitions are resurfacing”.
Canada’s Mark Carney said the “old order is not coming back” and the world is “in the midst of a rupture, not a transition” as great powers flex their muscles.
California governor Gavin Newsom put it bluntly: “There’s no diplomacy with Donald Trump: he’s a T rex. You mate with him or he devours you.”
Trump ally Javier Milei of Argentina also speaks today, along with Egypt’s Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.
(information from The Guardian)
