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Davos Opens as Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threats Recast Agenda and Diplomacy

Tariff threats tied to Trump's Greenland push are shaping the forum's tone under new WEF leadership.

Overview

  • Organisers expect about 3,000 participants including roughly 850 CEOs, as the forum convenes for the first time without founder Klaus Schwab under interim co-chairs Larry Fink and Andre Hoffmann.
  • European stocks fell about 1% and U.S. futures slid more than 1% after Trump’s pledge of new tariffs on eight European nations over resistance to a U.S. takeover of Greenland.
  • France called threats of 200% duties on wine and Champagne unacceptable, and a French official confirmed the authenticity of a Trump-posted text from Emmanuel Macron proposing a post-Davos G7 meeting in Paris.
  • U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged partners to “take a deep breath,” saying U.S.–Europe ties “have never been closer” and advising countries to stick with existing trade deals.
  • Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will skip Davos unless there is a breakthrough in peace talks, as the Kremlin confirmed envoy Kirill Dmitriev plans meetings with U.S. representatives on the sidelines.