France's president said it was "fundamentally unacceptable" for the US to use tariff threats as "leverage against territorial sovereignty." His speech came ahead of US President Trump's visit to Davos. DW has more.

The 2026 meeting takes place amid transatlantic unease caused by President Donald Trump's Greenland fixation and renewed tariff threatsAlso Read | Haryana Tourist Sticks ‘Gurjar Bro’ Decal on Fotu La Pass Signboard at Srinagar-Leh Highway in Ladakh, Faces Backlash After Video Goes Viral.

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warns that new US tariffs on the EU would be a 'mistake'

Trump is poised to dominate the week at Davos, with a US delegation already in place promoting an America-first agenda that has shaken the global order

Eight European countries warned of a 'dangerous downward spiral' unless the White House changes tack

Below you can read up on updates from the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland:

Treasury Secretary says US relations with Europe remain strong despite Greenland row

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says he's confident Washington and Europe will resolve tensions over President Donald Trump's push to take control of Greenland.

"It's been 48 hours. As I said, sit back, relax," Bessent told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

"I am confident that the leaders will not escalate and that this will work out in a manner that ends up in a very good place for all."

Over the weekend, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on European allies opposing a US takeover of Greenland. EU leaders meet Thursday in Brussels to weigh retaliation, including tariffs on €93 billion ($108 billion) on US imports.

Bessen says US-Europe relations have "never been closer" despite the dispute.

'We prefer respect to bullies,' Macron says of Europe amid 'time of instability'

French President Emmanuel Macron opened his speech Tuesday in Davos with a joke, saying "It's a time of peace, stability and predictability," to laughs from the chamber.

"It's clear we are reaching a time of instability, of imbalances," he said, citing global shifts towards autocracy from democracy, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and more wars around the world — "even though I understand a few of them were fixed," in a dig at US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly boasted of ending several wars since entering office last year.

Macron wore sunglasses after his recent battle with an eye infection and addressed the chamber in English.

The French president warned against "a world where international law is trampled underfoot," and a world where the strong do what they will while the weak suffer what they must.

In reference to the latest disputes about Greenland, Macron described the threat of further sanctions from the US towards Europe as "fundamentally unacceptable, even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty."

He said he wanted to rule out two approaches to the new threats in the world, firstly to "passively accept the law of the strongest," saying it didn't make sense to accept "a sort of new colonial approach."

But Macron also warned against adopting "a purely moral posture," saying this path "would condemn us to marginalization and powerlessness."

"France must defend effective multilateralism," he said, as his government takes up the G7 presidency in 2026.

"We do prefer respect to bullies," he said towards the end of his address. "We do prefer science to conspiracy. We do prefer rule of law to brutality."

WATCH: Donald Trump's tariff threats hang over World Economic Forum

This year's World Economic Forum in Davos takes place in tense times. In addition to the crises in Ukraine and Iran, there is now the dispute over Greenland.

Will Trump's visit defuse tensions or further escalate the situation?

'China is a trading partner, not a rival,' deputy premier says

China's deputy premier He Lifeng appealed for a less confrontational approach towards his country in his speech at Davos, touting its economic success.

The economist-turned-politician told the summit, "China is a trading partner, not a rival."

He said that the country's average annual growth rate of around 5.4% in the past five years had contributed "approximately 30% to global economic growth" in that period. Overseas investment by China had generated "over $300 billion" in tax revenues around the world, he said.

He also dismissed the common Western criticism on matters such as unfair trade practices, government support and dumping prices.

"China's development has been achieved mainly through reform, opening up and innovation, rather than so-called government subsidies," he said.

The deputy premier said China would "continue to foster a market-oriented, law-based and world-class business environment" for international companies operating there. In turn, he called on other national governments to provide a "fair" and "non-discriminatory" investment climate for Chinese businesses.

He Lifeng also appeared to refer to the US and Donald Trump, albeit without naming them.

"A select few countries should not have privileges based on self-interest, and the world cannot revert to the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak," He said, albeit adding that all countries "have the right to protect their legitimate interests."

Davos delegates wait with bated breath for Trump address

While walking down Davos's main street, Promenade, it's common to overhear discussions about Trump and AI. The street is plastered with billboards extolling the possibilities of frontier technologies such as Agentic AI, which involves machines not only telling you things, but also doing them for you.

This is the buzzword of the year.

However, it's Trump who is the talk of the Alpine town. Several delegates have rearranged their schedules around his speech at the WEF meeting on Wednesday.

There is a sense of nervous anticipation about what the US president is going to say. Fingers crossed!

Another notable aspect is the strong presence of emerging economies on the Promenade. India has set up its biggest pavilion ever, a rented space where officials meet with investors to discuss investments worth millions or billions of dollars.

Indonesia, the Philippines, Nigeria, and South Africa are among the countries showcasing their investment potential. Powerhouses from the Middle East — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE — are also present in impressive numbers.

New US tariffs on the EU would be a 'mistake,' von der Leyen says

European Commmission President Ursula von der Leyen has told the World Economic Forum in Davos that the world is changing and called for Europe to adapt accordingly.

During her speech, von der Leyen also addressed issues like Russia's invasion of Ukraine, economic upheaval and the advent of artificial intelligence (AI).

She confessed, while concluding the speech with a focus on Greenland, that "when I started preparing for this address, security in the high north was not the main theme."

But von der Leyen said it would be a "mistake" for the Trump administration to try to impose fresh tariffs on the EU in light of its designs on Greenland.

"The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July. And in politics as in business — a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something," she said.

Von der Leyen said any EU response to US pressure would be "unflinching, united and proportional."

She also sought to highlight that Europe was "fully committed" to security in the Arctic region, saying "we share the objectives of the United States in this regard."

"For instance, our EU member, Finland, one of the newest NATO members, is selling its first icebreakers to the United States. And this shows that we have capabilities in the ice, so to speak," she said, referring to an area of naval development where the US has fallen far behind the fleets of Russia and China in recent years, as climate change looks set to render Arctic waters more navigable.

Von der Leyen recommended that an icebreaker building program be one of the things funded by the European defense spending surge.

Iran's FM denounces canceled appearance amid protest wave

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has criticized the World Economic Forum for canceling his appearance at the summit, origninally scheduled for Tuesday, amid widespread protests and a violent crackdown in the country.

Araghchi alleged that his appearance was called off "on the basis of lies and political pressure from Israel and its US-based proxies and apologists" in a post on social media.

He said the decision exhibited a "blatant double standard" that "only conveys moral depravity and intellectual bankruptcy," given that Israeli officials were represented at the event despite the conflict in Gaza that was largely halted with last October's ceasefire.

Araghchi claimed that his country's security forces were responding to "armed terrorists and ISIS-style killings openly backed by Mossad," Israel's intelligence agency.

Rights groups say they have verified at least several thousand protesters killed by Iranian security forces. The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights, which says it has verified the deaths of at least 3,428 protesters, said on Monday that "all indications are that this massacre was planned and carried out with full coordination" by the Islamic Republic.

The Munich Security Conference has also withdrawn invitations to Iranian officials for the event in Bavaria next month in light of the violence and unrest.

Europe takes stage in Davos amid Trump tariff threat

Welcome back to our coverage of the World Economic Forum.

European leaders are taking the spotlight in Davos on Tuesday, one day before Donald Trump appears at the annual gathering, as the US president presses tariff threats tied to a dispute over Greenland.

Trump is expected to loom over the week at the Swiss resort, with a US delegation already on site pushing a Trump agenda that has rattled the global order long promoted by the World Economic Forum.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron are due to address the forum on Tuesday.

They will be joined by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose governments are also facing tensions with Trump.

Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech on Wednesday and take part in further events on Thursday.

European officials are weighing possible countermeasures after Trump threatened tariffs on eight European countries that oppose the US president's desire to take control of Greenland.

The issue has caused a growing diplomatic transatlantic rift and sparked fears of a trade war between the US and Europe.

Stay tuned as we bring you the latest.

EU chief reiterates need to 'unequivocally respect' Greenland's sovereignty in Davos

On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen "addressed the need to unequivocally respect the sovereignty of Greenland and of the Kingdom of Denmark" in a meeting with a bipartisan US congressional delegation.

"This is of utmost importance to our transatlantic relationship," she said on X, stressing that the EU is ready "to continue working closely with the United States, NATO, and other allies, in close cooperation with Denmark, to advance our shared security interests."

Von der Leyen said "transatlantic trade and investment" were also among the topics discussed, describing them as "a major asset" for both EU and US economies.

"Tariffs run counter to these shared interests," she added, appearing to refer to Trump's threats of imposing a 10% tariff on eight European countries as he ramps up his bid to acquire Greenland.

Merz anticipates Trump meeting on Wednesday

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters in Berlin that he expected to meet and talk with US President Donald Trump in Davos on Wednesday.

Trump is addressing the WEF on Wednesday, and Merz is a keynote speaker the following day.

Merz said that he hoped to discuss the issue of Greenland as Trump becomes increasingly vocal on the matter.

"I don't want to do it, but if it is necessary, then of course we would defend our European interest and our German national interests," he said.

Merz said that he did not dismiss Trump's warnings about the strategic importance of Greenland and the need to defend it. However, he noted that there was a time during the Cold War when the US had more than 30,000 troops stationed on Greenland, before it evidently downgraded the priority.

"At the moment it is fewer than 200," Merz said. "So evidently the threat analysis, also from the US, is not as dramatic as is curently being portrayed. Which is not to say that it cannot become larger again."

Protesters outside focus on Musk, US, military

As well as drawing political and business leaders from around the world, the World Economic Forum tends to feature on the calendar of political activists from all parts of the spectrum.

A group of demonstrators on site on Monday sought to draw attention to both the current US administration and rearmament in Europe, wearing masks of business mogul Elon Musk, US Vice President JD Vance, and the CEO of German arms industry giant Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger. The company's share price has increased roughly 20-fold in the past five years amid German and European plans to boost defense spending.

But the event in Switzerland has also long been a focus of online conspiracy theorists who often link it to the same "liberal elite" that the likes of Musk and Vance often claim to oppose.

One particular source for these conspiracy theories was an economic recovery plan put foward amid the COVID pandemic in 2020, called the "Great Reset." This became the rallying cry for loose-weave speculation about a supposed global cabal seeking to reorganize the economy, politics and society, not least amid Donald Trump's failed bid to win a second term in 2020.

While often pinned to the WEF in recent years, these tropes of a secret globalist order hiding in plain sight (yes, it's as contradictory as it seems) have circulated in various forms for decades, albeit not with the speed and volume that is possible in the social media age.

What's on the agenda for the week ahead?

Monday is for the most part a travel day, with the opening concert taking place mid-evening.

That's accompanied by just the one major panel event, entitled "Open Forum: Which 2050 Do We Want?"

Speakers include the co-founder of Distyl AI, Arjun Prakash, WEF Managing Director Alois Zwinggi and Agnes Callamard, secretary-general of Amnesty International.

Notable speakers on Tuesday include French President Emmanuel Macron, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and He Lifeng, the vice premier of the Chinese Republic.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez may leave a gap in Wednesday's schedule, given the train crash in Cordoba. But US President Donald Trump and Argentina's Javier Milei are both on the dock that day. Meanwhile, discussion sessions will pose questions including whether China's economy is "fully emerged" and whether Russian can "sustain a wartime economy."

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa's address to the forum on Thursday also appears in doubt, given the political situation in his country with the Syrian government having announced a new ceasefire deal with Syrian Democratic Forces as recently as Sunday.

But on that day, Israel's President Isaac Herzog, Finland's head of state Alexander Stubb and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are scheduled to take the floor.

Friday's highlight, just before the closing statement scheduled for noon local time, is an hour looking at the "Global Economic Outlook." Participants in that session include European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

Donald Trump set to dominate Davos 2026

Weeks after attacking Venezuela, capturing its controversial leader, and reviving Greenland ambitions, the US president's presence in Davos is expected to raise the stakes at WEF's annual meeting.

Read DW's full analysis on the role Trump is expected to play at this year's Davos summit.

Mozambique's president calls off visit amid severe floods

President Daniel Chapo has canceled his trip to Davos because of severe flooding in Mozambique that has damaged infrastructure and affected hundreds of thousands of people.

Chapo published a Facebook post late on Sunday saying that the country was going through "a tough time."

"As President of the Republic, our place is with our people. We maintain our commitment to investment and international partners, but the absolute priority at this moment is to save lives," he wrote.

Persistent heavy rans since mid-December have led to widespread floods in the Gaza, Maputo and Sofala provinces of Mozambique, with several river basins above alert levels, accoring to an update from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Sunday.

The OCHA report estimated that more than 400,000 people had been affected.

The heavy rains have also affected parts of neighboring South Africa. The renowned Kruger National Park in the northeast reopened to visitors on Monday after closing for several days.

Spain's Pedro Sanchez calls off Davos trip to manage train crash

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will not travel to Davos in light of the major train crash on Sunday evening in Spain, his office has said.

At least 39 people were killed in the high-speed train collision near Adamuz in the southern province of Cordoba, with at least 122 injured and 48 of those still in hospital as of Monday morning.

Sanchez and Transport Minister Oscar Puente were headed to the crash site on Monday morning.

A total of around 400 passengers were on board the two trains that collided, according to a statement from state-owned rail operator Renfe.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 20, 2026 08:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).