US President Donald Trump will arrive at the World Economic Forum in Davos "about three hours late" due to a problem with the first plane that was supposed to take him to Switzerland, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant announced today.
"I think President Trump will be about three hours late," Bessant told reporters in Davos. The US president's first plane was forced to return to Andrews Air Force Base, near Washington, due to a technical problem. Trump eventually departed for Switzerland two and a half hours later on another plane.
The US president was scheduled to deliver a speech in Davos at 14:30 p.m. (local time, 15:30 p.m. Greek time).
Determined to acquire Greenland
Trump is likely to use the World Economic Forum to escalate his pressure for the US to acquire Greenland, despite strong opposition from Europeans.
Trump, who completed one year in office as US president on Tuesday, is expected to overshadow the annual forum held in the Alpine resort, in which he is participating for the first time since 2020. Yesterday, during a press conference, the Republican said that he would have meetings on the subject of Greenland in Davos and noted that he is optimistic that an agreement will eventually be reached.
“I think we’ll find something that NATO will be very happy with and that we’ll be very happy with. But we need it for security reasons. We need it for national security,” Trump said. When asked how far he was willing to go to acquire Greenland, the Republican said simply: “You’ll see.”
In recent days, Trump has repeatedly said that the United States “needs Greenland.” Emboldened by the overthrow of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the US regaining control of the country’s oil, the US president has threatened to take action against Cuba, Colombia and Iran. He has not ruled out the possibility of using force to seize Greenland.
NATO member countries have warned that Trump's strategy regarding Greenland threatens the Alliance.
"The end of NATO"
The Republican, breaking protocol, yesterday made public a private message sent to him by the French president, in which Emmanuel Macron invites him to participate in a G7 summit in Paris, after Davos, something Trump rejected. "I don't understand what you're doing with Greenland," Macron wrote in his message.
Yesterday from Davos, the French president warned against American efforts "to subjugate Europe" and described as "unacceptable" the threats of Trump, who announced additional tariffs against European countries until he is allowed to buy Greenland.
Macron also pledged to oppose the "bullies."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, for her part, warned that Trump risks dragging EU-US relations into a negative spiral.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is trying to reduce his country's dependence on Washington after Trump threatened to make Canada the 51st US state, received warm applause in Davos when he said: "Canada strongly supports Greenland and Denmark."
"The middle powers must act together, because we are not at the negotiating table, we are on the agenda," he added.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stressed that any US action to acquire Greenland "would mean the end of NATO."
Republican Senator Tom Tillis, a member of a bipartisan Congressional delegation that visited Copenhagen and Davos, assured that "the situation will calm down over time."
The leaders of Denmark and Greenland have proposed various ways for the US to strengthen its presence on the Arctic island, where there is already a US military base, but they have not satisfied Trump, who yesterday posted on social media a photo made using artificial intelligence that shows him placing the American flag in Greenland.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen yesterday asked his 57.000 compatriots to prepare for a possible military intervention.
Strengthening the economy
Trump's initial goal was to present his plans for strengthening the US economy in Davos.
In his speech today, he is expected to mention his successes in the economic sector, despite the fact that polls show that the majority of Americans are not satisfied with the way he is handling the issue.
"President Trump will present initiatives to reduce housing costs, highlight his economic agenda that has made the United States a global leader in economic growth, and emphasize that the United States and the EU must leave behind economic stagnation and the policies that caused it," a White House official said.
During his stay in Davos, Trump will have separate meetings with the leaders of Switzerland, Poland and Egypt, the White House noted.
Tomorrow, Thursday, the Republican will preside over a ceremony for the Peace Council, an initiative of his that was originally aimed at rebuilding Gaza after the end of the war between Hamas and Israel. However, there is now concern that Trump is seeking to use the Council to work on resolving other crises, a role traditionally played by the UN.
Yesterday the American president said that he likes the UN, but "it has never lived up to its potential."
Source: protothema.gr
