Europe is about to find out which Donald Trump has barrelled into the Swiss Alps.
Will it be a continuation of the explosive social media persona – or a more conciliatory figure
Before flying to Switzerland, the president teased he has a plan for Greenland that everyone will be happy with, without giving any details.
It’s hard to see how he can solve so neatly a crisis of his own making.
Particularly one in which he insists he absolutely must take over a territory belonging to an EU and Nato member – for global security – and at a time when the White House is refusing to take off the table the threat of military force to achieve that aim.
Trump’s team also arrive in Switzerland
Disembarking just before the US president were some members of his inner team, who he’s brought with him to Davos.
So far we’ve seen Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt walking off the plane.
Here’s a reminder of who the White House said would be accompanying Trump.
Trump boards helicopter on way to Davos
We’ve just seen Donald Trump leave Air Force One at Zurich Airport and make his way to the helicopter that will transfer him to Davos.
He briefly stopped on the tarmac as reporters shouted questions at him.
US treasury secretary says UK is ‘letting us down’ with Chagos deal
While we wait for President Trump to get off his plane, and then head to Davos, here are some new comments from his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
He says the UK is “letting us down” by handing sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Yesterday, Downing Street said it still believed the US supported the deal, despite President Trump’s social media post calling it an “act of great stupidity”.
Bessent says: “President Trump has made it clear that we will not outsource our national security or our hemispheric security to any other countries.
“Our partner the UK is letting us down with the base on Diego Garcia [where the US-UK military base is], which we had shared together for many, many years and they want to turn it over to Mauritius.
“So President Trump is serious here.”
- As a reminder, the UK government said on Tuesday “the base on Diego Garcia was under threat after court decisions undermined our position… this deal secures the operations of the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia for generations”. As part pf the deal to hand over the Chagos Islands, the UK will pay to lease the base there for 99 years, with an option to extend for another 40 years.
UK chancellor ‘not ruling out’ retaliatory tariffs on US
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says “we would never rule anything out” about retaliatory tariff measures, following growing concerns over Trump’s threats to raise tariffs over Greenland.
Speaking to the BBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, she says the UK “would not be buffeted around” and would be acting in the national interest when dealing with the US on trade which means “bringing down trade barriers with countries around the world”.
It was only in May 2025 that the UK secured an agreement with the US on trade measures following global tariffs announced on “liberation day”.
Then, this weekend, President Trump threatened to add a 10% tariff to “any and all goods” imported from eight European countries from 1 February, including the UK, if those countries oppose his proposed takeover of Greenland.
French President Emmanuel Macron says the EU could consider a series of retaliatory options, but the UK chancellor tells the BBC she’s had assurances from the US commerce secretary that the “US-UK trade deal will stand”.
We can’t drop the ball on Ukraine, says Nato secretary general
“The main issue is not Greenland now, the main issue is Ukraine”, says Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte in Davos.
Speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum, Rutte says he is “a little bit worried that we might drop the ball focusing so much on these other issues”.
Despite losses in the tens of thousands in December, Russia is still increasing its attacks on Ukraine, he says.
Rutte adds that progress on peace talks and a newly-agreed €90bn loan to Ukraine from the EU commission shouldn’t give Europe’s Nato members the idea that they can “forget about the defence of Ukraine”.
“They need our support now, tomorrow, and the day after”, he says. “I need European allies to keep focus on this issue.”
Time has come to stand up to Trump, says former Nato chief
The former secretary-general of Nato, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, says the time of flattering President Trump “has ended” and we can now expect a “more firm response” from Europe.
Rasmussen, who is also the former Danish prime minister, tells the BBC that if Trump carries out the extra tariffs on eight European countries, retaliatory tariffs should be introduced, as “Trump only respects force and strength”.
He tells the BBC that Nato wouldn’t survive if Trump carried out his threat to take over Greenland.
“Time has come to stand up against Trump,” he adds.
With Trump’s focus on Greenland, Zelensky skips Davos
In his recent New Year address and then after the “Coalition of Willing” summit in Paris, Volodymyr Zelensky was upbeat about hopes for a ceasefire – saying he thought an agreement to end the war with Russia was “90% ready”.
The Ukrainian leader and his European allies expected that agreement, which would include post-war security guarantees for Ukraine and a multi-billion-dollar “Prosperity Plan” would be ready for signing or, at the least, there would be further discussions at Davos.
But Zelensky is not going to Switzerland – officially because of the severe energy crisis across Ukraine after intense Russian bombing of the country’s power infrastructure.
But the Ukrainian leader has also admitted, that with Donald Trump’s attention focused elsewhere, there is nothing to sign and he was “choosing Ukraine over an economic forum”.
Trump’s strong words on Greenland and Nato
On Tuesday, President Trump attended the White House media briefing – a rare appearance – to mark the one-year anniversary of his second inauguration.
Here’s a recap of what we heard about Greenland and Nato:
“You’ll have to find out,” Trump said when asked how far he is willing to go to acquire Greenland.
He said there is “no going back” on his plan, claiming: “Greenland is imperative for national and world security.”
When asked whether the possible break up of Nato was a price he was willing to pay for Greenland, Trump responded: “Nobody has done more for Nato than I have, in every way. Nato is going to be happy and we are going to be happy…”
But he earlierquestioned if Nato would come to aid of the US. “I know we’ll come to [Nato’s] rescue, but I just really do question whether or not they’ll come to ours,” he told reporters
Macron urges EU to consider retaliation against US tariffs
Tensions have escalated between the US and Europe as Donald Trump ratchets up efforts to acquire Greenland, threatening tariffs on eight European countries opposing his plans over the weekend.
Addressing the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he preferred “respect to bullies” and the “rule of law to brutality”.
Macron’s comments followed a threat by the US president earlier that day to levy a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne, after the French premier declined an invitation to join Trump’s international “Board of Peace”, made up world leaders.
Macron is among those urging the EU to consider retaliatory options against US tariffs, including an anti-coercion tool nicknamed a “trade bazooka”.
SOURCE: BBC NEWS
