Davos focuses on Trump's "island seizure": California governor urges Europe to stand tall, Macron warns of "imperial ambitions," Britain calls for de-escalation.
At the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday, several Western leaders issued strong responses to U.S. President Trump’s claims over Greenland, marking a delicate moment in transatlantic alliance relations.
California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized European leaders for displaying a “complicit” attitude on Trump’s request to buy or annex Greenland, saying they were being “played” by Trump and calling on Europeans to “stand up straight” to resist him. French President Macron, in his speech, denounced U.S. tariff policies and warned the EU not to hesitate in deploying anti-coercion tools. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the sovereignty and integrity of Greenland and Danish territories are “not negotiable” and said the proposed tariff increases are wrong.
Meanwhile, UK Chancellor Reeves called for calm, and Canadian Prime Minister Carney expressed firm support for Greenland and Denmark.
Recently, Trump posted AI-generated images of the U.S. flag covering Greenland on social media, and also publicly disclosed private information with Macron. According to CCTV News, Trump stated at the White House press conference on Tuesday that he would not attend the urgent G7 leaders’ summit proposed by Macron to be held in Paris soon.
This public rift highlights the uncertainty of U.S.-EU relations during Trump’s second term, and tests the stances of traditional allies on trade wars and territorial sovereignty issues.
California Governor Criticizes Europe's "Complicit" Attitude
At the Davos Forum, California Governor Newsom expressed strong dissatisfaction with European leaders for failing to resist Trump’s demands over Greenland. The standout among 2028 Democratic presidential candidates told the media that Europeans were being “played” by Trump, and their attempts to negotiate with him were “not diplomacy, but foolishness.”
Newsom stated, “It’s time to stand up, get serious, and stop being complicit.” He claimed he couldn’t tolerate such complicity — “People keep giving in. I should bring kneepads for all the world’s leaders... This is too sad.”
Newsom compared Trump to a “T-Rex,” saying there are only two outcomes when dealing with him: cooperate or be devoured. He warned that if Europeans keep handling Trump as they do now, they might be devoured. He said European leaders should have taken a tougher stand a year ago when Trump returned to the White House, and they are now paying the price.
“He’s like a T-Rex. Either you cooperate with him, or he devours you, there’s no third way. If Europeans keep walking down this path, they might be devoured.”
“They need to stand tall, take a firm stand, and unite. Listen, we should have had this discussion a year ago, but they didn’t.”
“Now you’re paying the price — any objective observer would have predicted we’d end up here.”
Newsom often suggests that American politicians who try to appease Trump should be equipped with kneepads, and he even sells kneepads with Trump’s signature on his own website.
Macron Says EU Should Not Hesitate to Use Anti-Coercion Tools
French President Macron, in his speech in Davos, warned of “might is right” and “imperial ambitions,” seen as implied criticism of Trump’s foreign policy.
Macron stated that the world is “turning into a ruleless world, where international law is trampled and the only thing that seems to matter is the law of the strong.”
Macron criticized U.S. trade demands, whose sole purpose is “to weaken and make Europe bow.” He denounced “the endless accumulation of new tariffs is fundamentally unacceptable — especially when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty.”
In response to U.S. tariff threats, Macron warned that the U.S. imposing extra tariffs on European countries could force the EU to “for the first time” use its anti-coercion mechanism (ACI) against allies. He said: “Can you imagine? This is crazy,” and stressed that ACI “is a powerful tool, and in today’s tough environment, we shouldn’t hesitate to use it.”
Macron also called on Europe to reduce investment in overseas bonds. The EU is currently the main buyer of U.S. debt, which may hint that Europe holds more leverage in countering the U.S.
Earlier, Trump posted Macron’s text messages to him on social media, showing that Macron had proposed gathering G7 leaders after the Davos Forum, and questioned Trump, “What exactly are you doing with Greenland?” Macron said he did not intend to speak with Trump.
According to CCTV, Macron’s side later confirmed that Trump’s post was true, and Macron had sent Trump a “private message” stating that he would hold a G7 leaders summit in Paris and invite Russia to attend.
Von der Leyen Stresses Sovereignty Is Non-Negotiable
European Commission President von der Leyen said at Davos on Tuesday that the sovereignty and integrity of Greenland and Danish territory are “not negotiable,” and announced increased support for Arctic regional security.
Von der Leyen said, “We are preparing for a surge of large-scale European investment in Greenland. We will work together with Greenland and Denmark to explore how to further support the local economy and infrastructure.” She added, “We will work with the U.S. and all partners on broader Arctic security issues.”
She gave an example: Finland selling icebreakers to the U.S., showing that “our Nordic NATO member states have Arctic operational capabilities,” and “Arctic security can only be achieved through collective effort.”
Speaking about Trump’s threat to impose tariffs over Greenland, von der Leyen said, “That is why the proposed additional tariffs are a mistake, especially among longtime allies.” She emphasized, “We see the American people not only as our allies but as friends, and falling into a vicious spiral only helps the adversaries we are all committed to stopping.”
Von der Leyen said Europe’s response to threats facing Greenland will be “firm, united, and proportionate.” In her speech she also stressed that, due to the current “geopolitical shocks,” Europe needs “a new form of independence.”
UK Chancellor Calls for Calm, Carney Urges "Middle Powers" to Unite
UK Chancellor Reeves called for calm at Bloomberg’s Davos event. She stated: “I just want to urge people to keep a cool head. This is what we’ve been doing all last year, and it’s actually worked quite well. All our focus is on de-escalation, not the worst-case scenario.”
Reeves joined other European politicians calling for calm regarding the Greenland crisis ahead of Trump's arrival in Davos on Wednesday. She expressed confidence in the UK’s economic growth plans, and stressed that joining the EU customs union is not under consideration. She reiterated: “I believe in free and fair trade.”
Canadian Prime Minister Carney stated at the World Economic Forum, “The old order isn’t coming back,” and urged “middle powers” to unite. He said: “Middle powers must act together, because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.”
Although Carney did not directly name Trump, some remarks seemed aimed at the U.S. president, saying “the big powers” have begun “weaponizing economic integration, using tariffs as leverage, using financial infrastructure as a means of coercion, and viewing supply chains as exploitable vulnerabilities.”
Carney confirmed that Canada supports Greenland, Denmark, and the NATO alliance, winning applause. He said: “We are unwavering in our commitment to Article 5.”
Carney was referring to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, namely the collective defense clause, which states: “An armed attack against one or more of the contracting parties shall be considered an attack against them all.”
According to Canadian media, Canada is considering sending a small force to Greenland to participate in joint military exercises in the region with Denmark and other European armies.
Trump Escalates Social Media Offensive
On Tuesday afternoon Beijing time (early Tuesday morning U.S. time), Trump posted two AI-generated images on his own social media.
One image depicts him talking with European leaders in the Oval Office, with a map of the Western Hemisphere in the background and the U.S. flag covering the U.S., Canada, Venezuela, and Greenland. The other shows Trump raising the U.S. flag in a snowy mountain landscape, with the corner marked “Greenland U.S. Territory Founded in 2026.”
Late Monday night, Trump also publicly released Macron’s private text messages to him. The screenshot shows Macron wrote: “I don’t understand what you’re doing with Greenland.” He called Trump “my friend,” noted their agreement on Syria and Iran, but said he couldn’t understand Trump’s reasoning over Greenland. Macron proposed a meeting of major industrialized nation leaders in Paris later this week, and invited Trump to dine together in the French capital.
Trump also shared a friendly message from NATO Secretary-General Rutte. Rutte wrote: “I’m committed to finding a way forward regarding Greenland.” He called Trump “Dear Donald,” seemed to praise him for actions on Syria, Gaza, and Ukraine, and promised to highlight the President’s work in Davos media events.
Earlier, Trump revealed on social media that he had a good call with Rutte about Greenland and agreed to meet at Davos. He posted: “It’s a done deal — everyone agrees on it!”
Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said in a media interview on Tuesday that global leaders must “take into account” that Trump might publicly release any private messages sent to him, describing this as part of Trump’s “new diplomacy.”
Trump told media on Monday night that he would meet with “various parties” during this week’s Davos World Economic Forum to discuss the Greenland issue, and predicted the event would be “very interesting.” He said he does not expect European allies to “overreact” to his Greenland ambitions.
CCTV News reported on Monday that Trump refused to disclose whether he would use force to seize Greenland.
Trump also changed his stance on the UK’s plan to transfer the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, calling it “extremely stupid,” underscoring the necessity for the U.S. to seize Greenland.
The Chagos Islands are the site of joint UK-U.S. military bases. A UK government spokesman defended the agreement, saying it guarantees base operations.
Trump also hinted at imposing a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne, apparently trying to force Macron to join his Gaza “Peace Committee.” European leaders are scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to weigh responses to Trump’s tariff threats.
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