Davos braces for Trump amid tensions over NATO, Greenland and global defense

President Donald Trump has Europe on edge as he prepares to meet with foreign leaders in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday and Thursday at the World Economic Forum.

The World Economic Forum is a Switzerland-based organization that convenes global political leaders, business executives, academics and activists each year in Davos to discuss major economic, political and social issues, with the U.S. and Trump expected to take center stage this year. Leaders from Germany to France to Norway and beyond are expected to attend. 

Calls for the U.S. to acquire Greenland and tariff threats loom over the event as Trump puts European allies on notice to reach a deal on the island by Feb. 1 or face the consequences. Goods from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom will face a 10% tariff if no deal is reached by February, with the taxes increasing to 25% by June 1 if there is no deal. 

Top European leaders have balked over Trump’s demands to make a deal on Greenland, citing that NATO allies can work together to ensure the Arctic is secure. Greenland is a self-governing Danish territory nestled between North America and Europe in the Arctic Circle. 

NORAD AIRCRAFT TO ARRIVE IN GREENLAND FOR ROUTINE EXERCISES

President Donald Trump arrives at a dedication ceremony for a portion of Southern Boulevard that the Town of Palm Beach Council recently voted to rename President Donald J. Trump Boulevard at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, Jan. 16, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

Trump wants to acquire the island — the largest island in the world –—from a national security standpoint, noting Russia’s and China’s growing presence in the Arctic. Greenland as a pivotal outpost during the Cold War because it was along the shortest routes between North America and the Soviet Union, allowing for speedy missile detection. 

The World Economic Forum kicked off Monday, with some European leaders questioning their relationship with the U.S. as tariff threats loom. The threats follow the U.S. and EU reaching a comprehensive trade framework in 2025 that fixed a 15% tariff level on most EU exports. 

“The European Union and the United States have 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.”

“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.

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Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said from a press conference in Nuuk ahead of the forum that there needs to be respect for “territorial integrity.” 

Residents in Greenland, the largest island in the world, have expressed concern about President Donald Trump’s renewed interest in seizing the territory. (Julia Wäschenbach/picture alliance/Getty Images)

“International law, it’s not a game,” he said. “We have been a close and loyal ally to the United States, to NATO, through many, many, many years. We can do lots more in that framework. We are willing to cooperate much more, but of course in mutual respect, and if we cannot see that, it will be very difficult to have a good and reliable partnership.”

Trump is set to hold a signing ceremony for the Gaza Board of Peace in Davos, Fox News confirmed Tuesday, which is styled as a new oversight body tied to the next phase of the Gaza peace plan. “Dozens” of countries have been invited to join the board, Fox News confirmed. 

Some invited countries, however, have raised concerns about the terms of the proposed Gaza peace board, as participation would come with a substantial financial commitment, adding to the heightened tensions at the forum, Bloomberg reported. 

(L-R) Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni,  German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte prepare to depart after a group photo prior to meeting at the White House on Aug. 18, 2025 in Washington, DC.  (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

French President Emmanuel Macron, for example, has increasingly become a target for Trump’s criticisms and denied membership on the board. 

Macron’s office said the Board of Peace proposal “goes beyond the framework of Gaza and raises serious questions, in particular with respect to the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot be called into question,” according to Politico. 

TRUMP FIRES OFF LATE NIGHT TRUTH SOCIAL POSTS DOUBLING DOWN ON GREENLAND AMBITIONS

Trump threatened additional tariffs on France when asked about Macron’s refusal to join the board. 

“I’ll put a 200 percent tariff on his wines and Champagnes and he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join,” Trump told reporters on Monday. 

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Trump is expected to kick off his first day in Davos at about 8 a.m. EST for a day of events and meetings, before returning to the U.S. Thursday. 

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.