Mark Rutte and Donald Trump in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21, 2026. EVAN VUCCI/AP
An aggressive speech targeting Europeans in the afternoon, followed by a sudden easing of tensions in the evening. Donald Trump used his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, January 21, to signal a spectacular about-face regarding Greenland, which, if confirmed, could help ease the crisis within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) caused by his plan to annex the Danish autonomous territory.
Since his forceful takeover in Venezuela and the abduction of Nicolas Maduro nearly three weeks earlier, the American president had repeatedly asserted his intention to seize control of the Arctic island, by persuasion or by force, even at the risk of dealing a fatal blow to the transatlantic alliance. He had accompanied this offensive with the threat to raise tariffs on American imports from eight European countries, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, starting on February 1. This was retaliation for their decision to send several dozen soldiers to the island to conduct an exploratory mission and, above all, to demonstrate their solidarity with Denmark.
