Trump Arrives At Davos Following Air Force One Delay And Greenland Rhetoric Escalation

U.S. President Donald Trump has arrived at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, after a “minor electrical issue” on Air Force One forced his initial flight to turn back to Maryland. The President’s arrival has transformed the annual summit of global elites into an emergency diplomatic forum centered on his renewed and aggressive pursuit of Greenland.

 Trump doubled down on his intent to acquire the territory, stating there is “no going back,” while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed European concerns as “hysteria,” urging allies to remain calm as the administration pursues its “national security” objectives.

European leaders have responded with unprecedented bluntness. French President Emmanuel Macron warned of a “shift towards a world without rules” and “new colonialism,” suggesting the EU may deploy its “trade bazooka” of retaliatory sanctions if Trump proceeds with threatened 10% tariffs on allies who oppose the annexation. California Governor Gavin Newsom, attending the forum, went further by describing Trump as a “T-Rex” and criticizing other world leaders for what he termed “pathetic” diplomacy.

 Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers traveled to Copenhagen to reassure Danish and Greenlandic officials that the majority of the American public—roughly 73% according to recent polling—opposes a forced takeover of the island.

The crisis has placed the future of NATO in jeopardy. While Trump claimed that “nobody has done more for NATO” than he has, he also questioned whether the alliance would truly come to the aid of the U.S. in a crisis. In response to the threats, Denmark and eight other NATO allies have launched “Operation Arctic Endurance,” deploying elite combat soldiers and military reinforcements to Greenland to safeguard its territorial integrity.

 Greenland’s Minister of Industry, Naaja Nathanielsen, reiterated that the 57,000 residents of the island have no interest in becoming Americans, insisting that their right to self-determination is non-negotiable.

As Trump prepares to deliver his keynote address in Davos, the focus has shifted toward whether the U.S. will move beyond rhetoric to formal economic or military coercion. The administration’s special envoy, Jeff Landry, is scheduled to visit Nuuk in March, while U.S. officials continue to frame the acquisition as essential for a proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system.

With the EU considering a £80 billion package of retaliatory tariffs targeting American goods like Boeing aircraft and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the standoff represents the most significant rupture in transatlantic relations since the end of the Cold War.