The World Economic Forum in Davos, held from January 19 to 23, 2026 under the slogan “Spirit of Dialogue,” became the scene of sharp reversals on January 21. At first, US President Donald Trump used his speech to sharply criticize Europe, NATO, and Denmark, again insisting that Greenland should be handed over to the United States and linking the issue to Arctic security and the deployment of the “Golden Dome” missile defense system.
Trump also referred to additional 10 percent tariffs due to take effect on February 1 against eight European countries, including Denmark, France, and Germany. Washington had previously said the measures would remain in force until an agreement was reached on the “full and final acquisition” of the island. In Davos, those statements prompted a harsh response from European politicians and renewed discussion of possible EU counter-tariffs.
At the same time, attention returned to Ukraine. Before the forum, it was widely expected that President Volodymyr Zelensky would not attend and that talks on postwar reconstruction and security guarantees had stalled. But in Davos, Trump no longer criticized Kyiv and said that both Zelensky and Vladimir Putin wanted a settlement.
“Today is the time to come together and make a deal. If they do not, then they are fools,” Trump said, adding that the sides were already “quite close” to an agreement.
Later, Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported that a meeting between Trump and Zelensky could take place on Thursday. At the same time, Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev held talks in Davos with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner; afterward, a trip by the US representatives to Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin was agreed.
By night, the situation around Greenland had changed. After talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the sides had formed the framework of a future agreement concerning Greenland and the Arctic more broadly. According to him, the issue was no longer the transfer of the entire island to the United States, but a deal he described as beneficial for Washington and NATO countries. At the same time, Trump dropped the planned tariffs against European states.
According to The New York Times, one option under discussion was for Denmark to transfer sovereignty over small parts of Greenland to the United States so that Washington could place military bases there. NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said talks among Denmark, Greenland, and the US would continue to prevent Russia and China from gaining a foothold on the island. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen summed up the day by saying it ended better than it began.