All eyes will be on Davos on Wednesday afternoon as US President Donald Trump is set to deliver a speech, hours after doubling down on his bid to acquire Greenland saying that there is “no going back”.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Freredirksen, and her counterpart in Greenland, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, are taking the threat seriously, with both on Tuesday that they “cannot rule out” a US military intervention saying.
Europe is trying to close ranks and those who took to the stage already in Davos have said the European Union stands ready to respond and meet the changing geopolitical times.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen vowed for instance that the EU’s response should Trump proceed with his tariff threat would be “unflinching”while French President Emmanuel Macron called on the blow to “not be shy” or divided and to not “passively accept the law of the strongest“.
Bart de Wever, the Belgian prime minister, had a similar message, warning that “80 years of Atlanticism are drawing to a close” and that “either we stand together or we stand divided, and if we are divided, it marks the end of an era”.
But a lot of the action today will actually take place behind closed doors with Trump set to meet with some European leaders as well as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Von der Leyen, who traveled to Strasbourg on Tuesday evening, is set to return to Davos in the hope of some face time with the US leader, Euronews understands.
Follow our live blog below for all the latest:
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8:55 GMT+1
Here’s what to expect today
Good morning and welcome to our third day of live coverage on the Greenland crisis dividing the US and the European Union.
We will, once again, seek to bring you the very latest on developments in Brussels, other European capitals, Washington, and Davos.
The two main events we’ll be avidly watching from the Swiss mountains are as follows:
- 10.15-11.00: Panel on “Can Europe defend itself?” with NATO chief Mark Rutte, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, and the head of the European Investment Bank Nadia Calvino;
- 2.30 p.m.-3.15 p.m.: the speech by US President Donald Trump.
Time to buckle up!