US President Donald Trump escalated tensions with NATO allies as he headed to the World Economic Forum in Davos, amid a growing dispute over Greenland. Speaking just before boarding his plane, Trump was asked about France's refusal to join his proposed "Board of Peace," a new international body whose draft charter suggests Washington aims to position it as an alternative to the United Nations.
"I'll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he'll join," Trump said, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron. He added: "But he doesn't have to join. Nobody wants him because he's going to be out of office very soon," an apparent reference to France's 2027 presidential election and Macron's political difficulties at home.
The World Economic Forum opened Tuesday in Davos, Switzerland, with about 3,000 leaders, ministers and business executives attending the four-day gathering. Trump is planning a signing ceremony on Thursday for the Board of Peace charter. A draft leaked to Reuters indicates that membership would cost $1 billion and that the US president would serve as chairman for life.
Reactions among US allies have been mixed. France said it intends, for now, to decline the invitation. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was open in principle to joining but that Canada would not pay membership fees. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to confirm participation, saying only that he would consult with allies. By contrast, Hungary and Argentina confirmed they would take part, and Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko "welcomed" the invitation. Trump also confirmed that he had invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to join.
During the flight to Davos, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform a screenshot of a message he had received from Macron. "My friend," the French president wrote, "We are totally in line on Syria, we can do great things on Iran, I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland." Macron proposed hosting a G7 meeting in Paris on Thursday, inviting Ukrainians, Danes, Syrians and Russians on the sidelines, and concluding with a joint dinner.
Macron has emerged as one of the leading voices in Europe taking a hard line against Trump and his stated ambition to annex Greenland. On Saturday, Trump announced 10% tariffs, potentially rising to 25%, on eight European countries that sent troops to a military exercise in Greenland: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland. The tariffs would rise to 25% and remain in place "until a full and complete deal is reached to purchase Greenland." France's foreign minister responded that "European countries are fully capable of defending their territory against any threat, from wherever it may come."
In another post from the flight, Trump lashed out at Britain, another NATO ally. "Shockingly, our "brilliant" NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER," he wrote. "There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness. The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired."
Diego Garcia is the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean and has hosted a joint US-UK military base since the 1970s. The base is a key strategic asset for projecting US power in the region and has been used in past operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, while also providing access to Iran. In May, Britain signed an agreement transferring sovereignty over the island to Mauritius while retaining the right to lease the base area for 99 years. The deal has drawn criticism from conservatives in both the UK and the US.
'A dangerous spiral'
The eight European countries hit with tariffs issued a joint statement Monday expressing "full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland," warning that "tariff threats undermine relations across the Atlantic and could lead to a dangerous and negative spiral."
Trump also sent a letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, writing that he "no longer feels an obligation to think purely of peace" after Norway declined to award him the Nobel Peace Prize. "Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America," Trump wrote. He also addressed Greenland in the letter, arguing that "Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a "right of ownership" anyway? There are no written documents, it's only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also."
