German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will be the first European leader to take the Davos stage as the World Economic Forum enters its third day. Other high-profile addresses are expected from Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the EU’s 27 member states are set to gather in Brussels later today for an informal emergency meeting, prompted by US President Donald Trump’s decision earlier this week to threaten tariffs on eight countries that refuse to back his bid to acquire Greenland.
However, the talks are expected to be less confrontational than initially anticipated, after Trump announced on Wednesday evening that he would withdraw the tariff threats following an agreement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on a new framework for Arctic security.
Trump had earlier used a meandering, hour-long speech in Davos to reiterate that the United States was “seeking immediate negotiations” over Greenland, while claiming he would not resort to force. He urged European leaders to strike a deal allowing the sale of the vast Arctic territory — at times mistakenly referring to it as Iceland — and warned of consequences if they refused.
“We want a piece of ice for world protection, and they won’t give it,” Trump said on Wednesday. “They have a choice: say yes and we’ll be very appreciative, or say no — and we will remember.”
The proposed “Greenland deal” would reportedly involve “small pockets of land” under US control, access to the island’s raw materials, and the potential deployment of the US missile defence system known as “Golden Dome”.
Following Trump’s speech, Danish Foreign Affairs Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the “day ended on a better note than it began”.
“Now, let’s sit down and find out how we can address the American security concerns in the Arctic while respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Rasmussen said.
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has now taken the stage
Germany was among the countries recently targeted by threats from Donald Trump, who had floated the idea of imposing a 10% tariff after Berlin expressed support for Denmark over Greenland.
Merz is now expected to outline Germany’s position on defence spending and its relationship with the United States and the future of NATO.
Europe wants to ‘avoid escalation’ with US over Greenland, says Merz
European leaders are closing ranks in response to Donald Trump’s threat of additional tariffs to force the acquisition of Greenland. German Chancellor Friedric…
Italy won’t sign Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative
Italy will not join Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative. At least not for now.
The country’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, told Italy’s landmark TV show “Porta a Porta” that Italy was “open, willing and interested” in Trump’s proposal, which is aimed at resolving global conflicts.
But there is an issue of “constitutional incompatibility” that “does not allow us to sign immediately.”
“We need more time,” she added.
Putin to pay $1 billion to join ‘Board of Peace’, suggests using frozen assets held in the US
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is prepared to contribute $1 billion to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace,” which would make Russia a permanent member.
He added that the funds could come from Russian assets frozen by the United States under the previous administration.
Putin said the remaining frozen assets held in the U.S. could be used to help rebuild areas damaged by fighting following a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, noting that discussions on the matter are underway with the U.S. administration.
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni urges allies to ‘dialogue’
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed Trump’s announcement of the tariff suspension scheduled for 1 February against Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
“As Italy has always maintained, it is essential to continue fostering dialogue between allied nations,” said Meloni.
Accolgo con favore l’annuncio del Presidente Trump di sospendere l’imposizione dei dazi prevista per il 1° febbraio nei confronti di alcuni Stati europei.
Come l’Italia ha sempre sostenuto, è fondamentale continuare a favorire il dialogo tra Nazioni alleate.
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) January 21, 2026
‘We’ve de-escalated, but obviously it’s not over yet,’ says Finnish President
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Wednesday evening that an American military seizure or takeover of Greenland is off the table as he laid out the three previously foreseen scenarios — the good, the bad, and the ugly.
“The good would be to find an off-ramp and create a process to improve Arctic security through NATO. The bad one would be to have a tariff war continue, and the ugly one would have been military intervention,” said Stubb.
“We’ve now de-escalated, but obviously it’s not over yet.”
‘The EU cannot be subjected to any kind of neo-colonial behaviour,’ former Commission President said to Euronews
Speaking on Euronews’ flagship programme Europe Today, Jean-Claude Juncker urged the European Union to take a far more assertive stance towards the United States, insisting that Europe must show it is ready to defend its own interests.
Asked what he would do if he were still Commission president, Juncker said he would confront Donald Trump directly to make clear that “the European Union cannot be subjected to any kind of neo-colonial behaviour”.
“The EU is not a slave of the United States of America,” Juncker said, adding that while the US president is aware of this, “he doesn’t take this into account, at least not publicly”.
Commenting on Trump’s more than one-hour speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Juncker said it was “less aggressive” than he had expected, but still “not reassuring”. Although the US president ruled out a military attack on Greenland, he reaffirmed his desire to take control of the territory through negotiations, referring to it as a “giant piece of ice”.
Now an adviser to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Juncker warned that such threats could have serious consequences for the transatlantic relationship. “If a NATO ally attacks or threatens another NATO ally, this inaugurates a process at the end of which we could witness a breakdown of NATO,” he said.
Juncker: EU should use all available tools to ‘deeply harm US economy’
Jean-Claude Juncker, who led the European Commission during the first Trump administration, told Euronews that the EU “cannot be submitted to the neo-colonial…
Zelensky to join world leaders in Davos
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is on his way to Davos to hold talks with President Trump.
The two leaders are set to meet in the Alps on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) ahead of planned visits to Moscow by White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Both discussions will center on President Trump’s proposed peace plan for Ukraine.
Eyes on Davos and Brussels
Good morning and welcome to Euronews’ live updates from Davos and Brussels on the latest developments in Greenland.
As the sun rises over Davos, Switzerland, Euronews takes a look at what to watch today at the World Economic Forum:
- 09:00 – Conversation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog
- 09:30 – Speech by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
- 10:00 – Conversation with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
- 12:30 – Conversation with Finnish President Alexander Stubb
In Brussels, European heads of state and government will gather for a special European Council, where Greenland is expected to be high on the agenda. Leaders will arrive from 17:30, with discussions due to begin at 19:00.
We will keep you updated throughout the day with the latest statements, announcements and reactions from the Davos World Economic Forum and beyond.
