Trump says won't use force on Greenland, reiterates claim in Davos | Highlights

Trump Greenland news live updates: The European Union must move faster in its drive for independence to protect itself in a rapidly shifting global landscape, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.

“We are at a crossroads. Europe prefers dialogue and solutions – but we are fully prepared to act, if necessary, with unity, urgency and determination,” von der Leyen said in a speech at the European Parliament.

“In this increasingly lawless world, Europe needs its own levers of power,” she said.

Trump Greenland news live updates: Ahead of his speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned US President Donald Trump that tensions with America over Greenland would embolden rivals of the West, while describing his tariff threats as “wrong”.

She said that Europe prefers dialogue and solutions but is also “fully prepared to act” if necessary.

“We are at a crossroads. Europe prefers dialogue and solutions -- but we are fully prepared to act, if necessary, with unity, urgency and determination,” she said.

Trump Greenland news live updates: In strong remarks aimed directly at US President Donald Trump and his threats over acquiring Greenland, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the future of Greenland is for Greenlanders to decide.

She also hit back at Trump's threats, saying, “We now live in a world defined by raw power”.

Trump Greenland news live updates: The European Union will protect itself from any form of coercion and will uphold the international rules-based order and international law, EU Council President Antonio Costa said on Wednesday.

“We stand ready to defend ourselves, our member states, our citizens, our companies, against any form of coercion. And the European Union has the power and the tools to do so,” Costa said in a speech at the European Parliament.

“We cannot accept that the law of the strongest prevails over the rights of the weakest,” Costa said.

Trump Greenland news live updates: Europeans should avoid “reflexive anger” and speak directly to US President Donald Trump in Davos to hear his case for acquiring Greenland, treasury secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday.

“I will tell everyone: take a deep breath. Do not have this reflexive anger that we've seen and this bitterness,” Bessent told reporters, just hours before Trump was due to arrive at the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Switzerland.

“Why don't they sit down, wait for President Trump to get here and listen to his argument,” he said.

Trump Greenland news live updates: The European Union and India are close to finalising what the bloc’s chief described as a “historic” trade deal, as both sides seek to deepen ties and support their economies amid growing tariff threats from US President Donald Trump.

“Some call it the mother of all deals,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Her remarks came ahead of a planned visit to India next week, where both sides are expected to announce the agreement.

She said the free trade pact “would create a market of 2 billion people, accounting for almost a quarter of global GDP”.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that President Donald Trump will be about three hours late to Davos after his trip was delayed by an electrical issue on Air Force One.

"I believe President Trump is going to be about three hours late. I haven't seen the updated schedule," Bessent told reporters.

Trump returned to DC after the technical snag on Air Force One, switched aircraft and is now en route to Davos.

Trump Greenland news live updates: US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, while addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, made it clear to America's allies that Greenland needs to be part of the US.

“Asking European allies to understand that Greenland needs to be part of the US,” he said.

Notably, the rift between the US and Europe over the president’s ambitions has cast a shadow over the yearly meeting of global financial and political leaders and has strained Washington’s relations with several major allies.

Trump Greenland news live updates: Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said “Grow, baby, grow” is America’s message for its allies ahead of President Donald Trump’s speech at the summit later in the day.

Trump Greenland news live updates: Trump said he believed the European Union would keep investing in the US even if he moved ahead with new tariffs linked to his push to take control of Greenland, a move that has drawn backlash from leaders across Europe.

Earlier on Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Trump’s threats were a “mistake” and would breach the agreement he reached with the bloc last year.

“I doubt it,” Trump said at a White House press conference when asked if moving forward with Greenland-related tariffs could trigger the EU to renege on investment pledges. “They need that agreement very badly with us. They really do, they fought very hard to get it. So I doubt that," he added.

Trump Greenland news live updates: Officially, the US leader has said that he wants Greenland for “national security” reasons. However, Greenland's location seems to be the biggest reason for Trump's “needs”.

Greenland’s position above the Arctic Circle makes the world’s largest island central to security planning.

As global tensions rise, climate change advances and the world economy shifts, Trump wants to make sure the US keeps control over the mineral-rich island that overlooks the Arctic and the North Atlantic routes leading to North America. Read more here.

Trump Greenland news live updates: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday accepted US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the so-called “Board of Peace”, an initiative that first aims to end the conflict in Gaza and could later be expanded to address disputes elsewhere, Netanyahu’s office said on X.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he has accepted the invitation of US President Donald Trump, and will join as a member of the Supreme Peace Council, which will be composed of leaders of the world's countries,” a rough translation of the post in Hebrew read.

Trump Greenland news live updates: Trump is travelling to the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps, where his push to take control of Greenland from NATO ally Denmark could strain ties with European partners and divert attention from his initial aim of using the gathering of global leaders to focus on affordability concerns at home.

Trump is arriving in Davos after warning of tariffs on Denmark and 7 other allies unless they agree to talks over handing over the semi-autonomous territory, a demand that European leaders have signalled they are unwilling to accept.

Trump Greenland news live updates: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday that the US-led system of global governance is going through what he described as “a rupture”.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he said, "The question for middle powers, like Canada, is not whether to adapt to this new reality. We must. The question is whether we adapt by simply building higher walls — or whether we can do something more ambitious.”

“Middle powers must act together, because if we're not at the table, we're on the menu,” Carney said.

Trump Greenland news live updates: US President Donald Trump’s visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos began with disruption, after the aircraft carrying him was forced to turn back to Joint Base Andrews shortly after take-off due to a mechanical problem.

The president was due to arrive in Switzerland on Wednesday and depart on Thursday, based on a schedule previously released by the White House.

The public daily schedule also shows Trump plans to meet foreign leaders on Wednesday and conclude the day at a reception with business leaders, Bloomberg reported.

Trump Greenland news live updates: France has called for a NATO exercise in Greenland and said it is ready to take part, according to the French president’s office.

Notably, Paris and other European allies have repeatedly raised their concerns regarding a potential US takeover of Greenland.

Earlier, France's foreign ministry took to X and said "If there were a fire someday, firefighters would intervene — so better burn the house now."

Trump Greenland news live updates: NATO is facing what its former head described as the most serious challenge in its history because of Donald Trump's threats over Greenland. The time for “flattering” the US leader has passed, Anders Fogh Rasmussen told AFP on Tuesday.

“It’s not only a crisis for NATO, it’s a crisis for the transatlantic community at large, and a challenge to the world order as we have known it since World War Two,” he said in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“It is the future of NATO and the future of the world order that are at stake.”

Trump Greenland news live updates: The White House said Trump is expected to meet leaders on the sidelines of the forum after delivering his keynote speech. More than 60 other heads of state are attending the event.

On Thursday, Trump plans to hold a session focused on the “Board of Peace”, a new body intended to oversee the end of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The group could also be given a bigger role, which may put it in competition with the United Nations.

Trump Greenland news live updates: California governor Gavin Newsom urged European leaders on Tuesday to take a tougher approach towards US President Donald Trump over Greenland, telling them to “develop a backbone” and “punch him in the face”.

Speaking to reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the senior Democratic leader described Trump as “weak” and said the European Union should “push back very aggressively” against him.

“You can't play all sides. Enough of the niceties,” he added. “Stop trying to appease him. Fight fire with fire," he said.

Trump Greenland news live updates: A Copenhagen clothing store’s tongue-in-cheek take on US President Donald Trump’s red baseball caps has become an unlikely symbol of Danish solidarity with Greenland, as protests mount over Trump’s demands to seize the vast self-governing territory.

The red caps resemble the “Make America Great Again” caps of Trump’s supporters but feature slogans such as “Make America Go Away” and “Already Great”, AP reported.

Tens of thousands of people rallied in Copenhagen and Nuuk at the weekend, chanting “Greenland is not for sale” and marching to US diplomatic posts, many of them wearing the protest caps.

Trump Greenland news live updates: US President Donald Trump has left for the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos after switching to a new plane when his previous jet, Air Force One, experienced an “electrical issue” and had to return to Washington DC.

Trump Greenland news live updates: Senior leaders at the World Economic Forum are considering whether the group’s main annual meeting should move, as concerns grow that the event has become too large for its long-standing Alpine base in Davos, Financial Times reported.

Larry Fink, chair of BlackRock and interim co-chair of the WEF’s governing board, has held private talks about possible changes. These include shifting the summit away from Davos on a permanent basis or rotating it between different cities. Locations such as Detroit and Dublin have been mentioned.

WEF officials have pointed to problems such as a lack of accommodation, high security expenses, and limited physical facilities, the report said.

Trump Greenland news live updates: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt joked with reporters on Air Force One on Tuesday night that the Qatari jet was sounding “much better” at the moment.

The Boeing aircraft, valued at $400m (£300m), is being given by Qatar as an “unconditional” gift. Any costs needed to modify the plane will be covered by the US government, as reported earlier.

The move has received backlash from both Trump’s critics and some supporters, with a number of them describing it as a “bribe” from a foreign country.

In July, it was reported that work was in progress to modify the Qatari jumbo jet.

Trump Greenland news live updates: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday that the country strongly opposed any tariffs being imposed by the US to further Trump's aim of acquiring Greenland.

"Canada strongly opposes tariffs over Greenland and calls for focused talks to achieve our shared objectives of security and prosperity in the Arctic," Carney said at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Trump Greenland news live updates: Trump’s plane, Air Force One, returned to Joint Base Andrews around an hour after leaving for Switzerland on Tuesday because of a “minor technical issue”.

The two aircraft that serve as Air Force One have been in operation for nearly four decades. Boeing has been developing replacements, but the project has faced repeated delays.

Last year, Qatar’s ruling family presented Trump with a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to be added to the Air Force One fleet, a move that sparked backlash. The aircraft is now being modified to meet security standards.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt joked with reporters on Air Force One on Tuesday night that the Qatari jet was sounding “much better” at the moment.