Trump says he’s done more for Nato ‘than any other person, alive or dead’ and questions whether Nato would come to US’s rescue
We’re an hour in (are you still with us?!) and Trump has repeated his claim that he’s “done more for Nato than any other person, alive or dead”.
He cites his pressure campaign to get Nato members to raise their defence spending to 5% of GDP as one of his accomplishments, adding:
I’ve done more for Nato than anybody. I think for the most part, they’ll tell you that. I think you could ask the secretary general [Mark Rutte] about that. He said it as well. But Nato has to treat us fairly too.
Trump says his fear with Nato is, “we spend tremendous amounts of money with Nato, and I know we’ll come to their rescue but I really do question whether or not they’ll come to ours.”
Key events
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Trump says he’s done more for Nato ‘than any other person, alive or dead’ and questions whether Nato would come to US’s rescue
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Donald Trump begins White House press briefing
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Tusk: ‘appeasement is always a sign of weakness’
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Nato ‘would have been in ash heap of history’ if it wasn’t for me, Trump says
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Lithuania’s Nausėda calls for EU-US deal on Arctic security to end Greenland tensions
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European parliament to freeze ratification of EU-US trade deal
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Stubb says recent talks on Greenland ‘give me little bit of hope’ on finding way through tensions
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Macron declares ‘full support’ in message to Greenlandic people
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Gavin Newsom attacks Europe’s ‘complicity’ over Trump Greenland demands
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European leaders line up to condemn Trump’s ‘new colonialism’ in Davos – first take
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Canada ‘stands firmly’ with Greenland, Denmark, supports their ‘unique right’ to determine Greenland’s future, Canada’s Carney says
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Danish PM says she will not abandon Greenland
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Meloni faces domestic criticism for positioning herself as mediator with Trump over Greenland
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Zelenskyy says he is ‘worried’ Greenland dispute could shift attention away from Russia’s war on Ukraine
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No country has the right to take over territory of another, EU foreign policy chief says amid Trump threat to seize Greenland
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Military US attack on Greenland ‘not likely’, but cannot be ‘ruled out,’ PM says, as he warns of consequences
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Belgium yet to take position on countermeasures or ‘trade bazooka’ against US despite fighting rhetoric from PM – snap analysis
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US Bessent criticises Spain for defence spending, UK for Chagos islands deal
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US Bessent tells Europe to ‘take deep breath’ and ‘not retaliate’ on trade
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Don’t waste time with crazy ideas, Macron says, as he rejects ‘new imperialism or colonialism’
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‘We know what we have to fix: growth, peace, climate,’ Macron says in call to ‘not be divided’
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‘Crazy’ to think of EU having to respond to ‘useless aggressivity’ of US tariff threats, Macron says
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‘We prefer respect over bullies,’ Macron says as pitches Europe as place for business
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Macron talks about Europe’s trade response to US, China policies
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Macron paints choice between ‘new colonial approach’ and ‘law of strongest’ and ‘effective multilateralism’
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Macron warns about crumbling multilateralism as takes aim at US, China’s policies
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Marcon warns about instability and imbalances in today’s world before taking swipe at Trump’s war record
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France’s Macron addressing Davos – watch live
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The day so far – summary
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‘if anyone starts trade war against us … we must respond,’ Danish prime minister says
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EU cannot ‘stay herbivore’ in post-atlantic world, Belgium’s De Wever says
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‘They have to behave like ally,’ Belgium’s De Wever tells US, as “unfortunately not” granted it will remain ally under Trump
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‘Europe must tell Trump: this far and no further. Back down or we will go all the way,’ Belgian PM says
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Croatia’s Plenković hints at EU trip to Ukraine on fourth anniversary of Ukraine war
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Europe learned ‘hard way’ about its previous mistakes and illusions, Belgium’s de Wever says
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Trump ‘crossing red lines’ and 80 years of atlanticism could be drawing to close if he doesn’t change tack, Belgian PM says
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Lithuania’s president ‘sceptical’ about peace settlement on Ukraine as Russia continues with ‘imperialist’ ambitions
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Von der Leyen rolls out pitch for ‘EU Inc’ as she rebukes Trump over tariff threats – snap analysis
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US tariffs risk ‘plunging us into downward spiral,’ von der Leyen warns
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Proposed US tariffs on European partners ‘a mistake,’ von der Leyen says
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‘This must end’, EU’s von der Leyen says of Russia’s aggression on Ukraine
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EU’s von der Leyen highlights regulatory, capital, investment reforms in push to rival US, China
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‘New Europe already emerging,’ von der Leyen says as she hails new trade deals and lauds ‘fair trade over tariffs’
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EU’s von der Leyen warns ‘nostalgia’ will ‘not bring back old order’ as she calls for ‘new independent’ Europe
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EU’s von der Leyen speaks at Davos
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Greenland not ‘natural part’ of Denmark, Russia says
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US treasury secretary Bessent urges Europe not to retaliate against Trump’s Greenland tariffs
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UK defends Chagos deal from Trump’s criticism
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Morning opening: Trump takes aim at UK, France, Macron, Greenland in busy overnight Truth Social session
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Trump has vetoed the surrender of the Chagos deal, Nigel Farage says
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What was contained within the UK-Chagos Islands agreement?
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Trump says UK’s decision to hand over sovereignty to Chagos Islands is act of ‘great stupidity’
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Macron’s text message shared by Trump on Truth Social is authentic, source says
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Trump says ‘no going back’ on Greenland
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Opening summary
We finally get around to questions after Trump’s lengthy remarks.
Trump is asked about Norway and his perceived snub for the Nobel peace prize.
He said: “I lost a lot of respect for Norway. I believe very strongly Norway controls the Nobel prize.
“I settled eight wars, every participant sent in strong recommendations. No president has settled one war.”
Trump says he’s done more for Nato ‘than any other person, alive or dead’ and questions whether Nato would come to US’s rescue
We’re an hour in (are you still with us?!) and Trump has repeated his claim that he’s “done more for Nato than any other person, alive or dead”.
He cites his pressure campaign to get Nato members to raise their defence spending to 5% of GDP as one of his accomplishments, adding:
I’ve done more for Nato than anybody. I think for the most part, they’ll tell you that. I think you could ask the secretary general [Mark Rutte] about that. He said it as well. But Nato has to treat us fairly too.
Trump says his fear with Nato is, “we spend tremendous amounts of money with Nato, and I know we’ll come to their rescue but I really do question whether or not they’ll come to ours.”
Trump says he’s soon going to a “beautiful place in Switzerland”, adding:
I’m sure I’m very happily awaited for.
The US president hasn’t commented much yet on foreign policy matters, but he’s off to the World Economic Forum in Davos tomorrow.
As we’ve been reporting today, his threats to hit allies with tariffs unless they get on board with his plan to acquire Greenland have been widely discussed.
Donald Trump begins White House press briefing
Almost an hour behind schedule, Donald Trump has finally appeared. As expected, he begins by touting what he considers the accomplishments of his administration so far.
The White House press briefing room is packed ahead of Donald Trump’s anticipated appearance. He’ll of course be wanting to regale reporters with tales of his achievements from his first year back in office (journalists were earlier handed copies of a document entitled, “365 wins in 365 days. President Trump’s Return Marks New Era of Success”), but his threats to annex Greenland and against the US’s Nato allies will no doubt be at the forefront when it’s time to take questions.
The briefing was due to start at 1pm ET so it’s running a little late, we’ll bring you all the latest when it gets started.
A quick note before that gets under way about why Emmanuel Macron has been sporting a striking pair of aviator sunglasses in Davos today.
The French president is dealing with an eye condition that, while being “completely harmless”, has made his right eye red and puffy.
There is a press conference coming up shortly, at 6pm GMT, where White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will brief reporters on president Donald Trump’s first year back in office.
“In just one year, President Trump has accomplished more than many presidents do in eight. We’ve never had a president fight harder to deliver on the promises he made to the American people than President Trump,” Leavitt wrote on X earlier today.
“I’ll recap it all during the Press Briefing today at 1PM. Tune in!”
Inevitably, Trump’s pursuit of Greenland is likely to be top of the agenda and we will of course have all the top news lines that emerge. Stay tuned.
Tusk: ‘appeasement is always a sign of weakness’
The Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has said Europe “cannot afford to be weak” in standing up to the US president Donald Trump.
In a post on X, he wrote:
Appeasement is always a sign of weakness. Europe cannot afford to be weak – neither against its enemies, nor ally.
Appeasement means no results, only humiliation.
European assertiveness and self-confidence have become the need of the moment.
Jakub Krupa
It’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today, but I am leaving with you with Tom Ambrose who will keep you up to date with the latest on Greenland and other key Europe lines.
As always, if you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com. I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
Make sure to join us tomorrow too, as we are expecting to hear from US president Donald Trump, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, Finland’s president Alexander Stubb and Poland’s president Karol Nawrocki, among others.
And now over to Tom.
Nato ‘would have been in ash heap of history’ if it wasn’t for me, Trump says
Donald Trump is back online klaxon!
He has just posted on Truth Social claiming that “no single person, or president, has done more for Nato than president Donald J. Trump.”
He added:
“If I didn’t come along, there would be no Nato right now!!!
It would have been in the ash heap of History.
Sad, but TRUE!!! President DJT”
Somewhat confusingly, he also earlier “re-Truthed” – or reposted – a post claiming that China and Russia were “the boogeymen,” and “the real threat” was from the UN, Nato, and Islam.
Lithuania’s Nausėda calls for EU-US deal on Arctic security to end Greenland tensions
Lithuania’s president Gitanas Nausėda suggested an agreement on sharing responsibility for the security of the Arctic and the North Atlantic could offer a way out of the standoff between the United States and Europe over Greenland.
In an interview with Reuters, Nausėda told Reuters that the Greenland row was overshadowing the war in Ukraine and playing into Russia’s hands and urged Washington to de-escalate the dispute.
“The best outcome would be just to agree on common responsibility on the security of the Arctic region and North Atlantic region. Is it possible to achieve? We should do our best to go this way, because this is the best way,” he said.
European parliament to freeze ratification of EU-US trade deal
Jennifer Rankin
in Brussels
The European parliament will freeze ratification of the EU-US trade deal in response to Donald Trump’s tariff threats to European countries who oppose his takeover of Greenland.
The European parliament had been due to vote in the coming weeks on introducing 0% tariffs on US industrial goods, a key part of the deal signed between Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump at his Turnberry golf course in Scotland last summer.
Senior MEPs on the European parliament’s international trade committee are expected to announce the formal suspension of ratification of the Turnberry deal on Wednesday, after a deal between the largest political groups, a European parliament source said.
The writing was on the wall after the leader of the European parliament’s largest political group, the centre-right European People’s Party, announced over the weekend that approval of 0% tariffs for the US must be put on hold.
“The EPP is in favour of the EU–US trade deal, but given Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland, approval is not possible at this stage,” Manfred Weber said after Trump’s X announcement.
Socialists, centrist MEPs and Greens had already called for the deal to be put on hold over Trump’s threats to Greenland.
Stubb says recent talks on Greenland ‘give me little bit of hope’ on finding way through tensions
Separately, colleagues on the business blog have picked up a line from Finland’s Alexander Stubb interview with Bloomberg earlier today (£), in which he said his recent talks “gave him a little bit of hope” that tensions over Greenland could be soon resolved.
“The latest conversations that I’ve had about this subject in the past two to three hours – this is how fast things are changing in the new foreign-policy world – give me a little bit of hope that we’ll find a way,” Stubb said.
Macron declares ‘full support’ in message to Greenlandic people
A reporter with the Danish public broadcaster DR briefly spoke with France’s Emmanuel Macron after his speech in Davos, asking him for a brief message to the people of Greenland.
The French president replied:
“Full support. We stand with you, I love your country.”
He added “the people of Denmark and Greenlandic people are great people,” and noted he “went there a few months ago,” back in June.
You can watch a clip of his remarks here:
Gavin Newsom attacks Europe’s ‘complicity’ over Trump Greenland demands
Andrew Roth
Global affairs correspondent
Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, has decried Europeans for their “complicity” in failing to stand up to Donald Trump’s demands that he be allowed to buy or annex Greenland.
Newsom, a frontrunner among Democratic candidates for president in 2028, told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday that Europeans were being “played” by Trump and that their efforts to negotiate with him were “not diplomacy, it’s stupidity”.
“It’s time to buck up, it’s time to get serious and stop being complicit,” he told reporters. “I can’t take this complicity. People rolling over. I should have brought kneepads for all the world leaders … this is pathetic.”
Newsom regularly suggests that US politicians who cosy up to Trump should be given kneepads – making it easier to kneel – and he sells them on his website. “For all your groveling to Trump needs now in Republican red,” reads the advertisement for the kneepads, which bear a copy of Trump’s signature. “For the low low price of your soul.”
European leaders line up to condemn Trump’s ‘new colonialism’ in Davos – first take
Jon Henley
Europe correspondent
European leaders have lined up to condemn Donald Trump’s “new colonialism” and warn that the continent was facing a crossroads as the US president said there was no going back on his goal of controlling Greenland.
On Tuesday, after weeks of aggressive threats by Trump to seize the vast Arctic island, which is a largely autonomous part of Denmark, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said he preferred “respect to bullies” and the “rule of law to brutality”.
Macron told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that now was “not a time for new imperialism or new colonialism”, criticising the “useless aggressivity” of Trump’s pledge to levy tariffs on countries that oppose a US takeover of Greenland.
The US was seeking to “weaken and subordinate Europe” by demanding “maximum concessions” and imposing tariffs that were “fundamentally unacceptable – even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty”, he said.
Trump has ramped up his push to grab Greenland in recent weeks, saying the US would take control of the vast Arctic island “one way or the other” and: “Now it is time, and it will be done!!!”
The European Commission president said Trump’s threat to impose a 10% tariff on imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland unless they dropped their objections to his plans was “a mistake”.
Appearing to call Trump’s trustworthiness into question, Ursula von der Leyen also noted that the EU and US had “agreed to a trade deal last July, and in politics, as in business, a deal is a deal. When friends shake hands, it must mean something.”
Europeans, she added, “consider the people of the US not just our allies, but our friends”. She warned against plunging relations into “a downward spiral”, but said the EU’s response, if necessary, would be “unflinching, united and proportional”.
Belgium’s prime minister, Bart De Wever, said Europe was “at a crossroads” and “so many red lines are being crossed” by Trump that the continent had to stand up for itself or “lose its dignity … The most precious thing you can have in a democracy.”
Canada ‘stands firmly’ with Greenland, Denmark, supports their ‘unique right’ to determine Greenland’s future, Canada’s Carney says
Meanwhile, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney is now speaking on the main stage, outlining his thinking which he says was best defined by the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, as “value-based realism.”
That’s an interesting link-up and worth noting that Carney specifically credits Stubb – a very influential figure in European politics and one of few European leaders regularly speaking to US Trump – for the term.
“We aim to be both principled and pragmatic.
Principled in our commitment to fundamental values, sovereignty, territorial integrity, the prohibition of the use of force except when consistent with the UN Charter and respect for human rights, and pragmatic in recognising that progress is often incremental, that interests diverge, that not every partner will share all of our values.”
Carney says that in Ukraine, Canada remains “a core member” of the Coalition of the Willing, and a committed member of Nato.
He also turns to Greenland and says:
“We stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully support their unique right to determine Greenland’s future.”
He gets applause for that.
He also says Canada “strongly opposes” tariffs over Greenland and calls for talks to resolve these differences of view.
In the Q&A, he says say that while security discussions on securing the Arctic are legitimately important, he believes there is a “better outcome that come from the discussions that have been catalysed in the unusual way.”
He says “Russia is, without a question, a threat in the Arctic” and it “does lots of horrible things” as he takes this opportunity to condemn its continuous attacks on Ukraine.
But he says “the threat is more prospective than actual at this stage” and “we intend to keep it that way.”
Carney also spoke about Trump’s “board of peace” idea for Gaza, with business colleagues covering the key lines on that here.
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