In the afternoon hours in Davos, the first signs appeared that things might not turn out as badly as expected after the repeated threats made by Donald Trump in recent weeks. In the first part of his speech, the American president did not touch on the most controversial topic at all. For over 20 minutes, he talked about himself and his achievements. The economic situation in the US was phenomenal. And the prospects for the future? Even better than the present, he emphasized.
"Shall I say a few words about Greenland now?"
The Europeans had to be quite patient until their turn came in his speech. "Do you want me to say a few words about Greenland now?" Trump asked the Davos audience. A question that drew laughter from the audience. He reiterated his intentions for the Arctic, stressing that only Americans could defend this vast territory, this "piece of ice," a "big piece of ice that's hard to call land." Ultimately, Europeans would also benefit from America's commitment to the island, he said, and quickly mumbled his next sentence, which later turned out to be crucial. In it, he announced that he would immediately begin negotiations. The goal: to discuss the acquisition of Greenland again, which, however, does not require military force.
From a European perspective, this sounded like a slight relief, because in recent weeks Trump had said that if necessary, he could take Greenland by military force. Now in Davos, he ruled out that possibility. Trump said he did not believe he would achieve anything without the use of force, but emphasized: "I must not, I do not want to and I will not use force." However, an even greater mystery remains how Trump intends to achieve his goal in another way.
In the same speech, Trump also made endless criticisms of Europeans. In some places, Europe was unrecognizable due to allegedly uncontrolled mass immigration and was not going in the right direction, citing high government spending and a focus on renewable energy sources. According to Trump, Europeans were incompetent and had brought themselves to this state. In addition, the United States felt a lack of gratitude. "Without us, you would all be speaking German," Trump said, referring to World War II.
Trump again expressed doubts about the meaning of NATO. The US is 100% behind the defense alliance, but he is not sure whether other member states would stand behind America in a crisis.
Surprisingly, this time Trump also made some more positive assessments. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who was sitting in the audience and was personally greeted by Trump, was "excellent", the US president said. A few hours earlier, Rutte had praised Trump during his own statement. Thanks to him, many NATO member states are now spending significantly more on defense. Trump also referred to this: "Now they are paying and doing something that no one thought was possible".
He also said a few friendly words about Europe. Trump believes deeply in the bond that America shares with European civilization. He spoke respectfully of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The German energy policy that Trump had previously criticized was not the chancellor's fault. Merz is solving problems and doing a great job, he stressed.
Surprise: Trump announces he is canceling additional tariffs
A little later, in the evening, Trump delivered the next surprise. On his digital platform Truth Social, he announced that he was abandoning the announced additional tariffs for eight European countries, including Germany. The eight countries had sent soldiers on a reconnaissance mission to Greenland. In the same post, Trump also announced an agreed framework for a future agreement for Greenland and the entire Arctic region. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed the information about a possible agreement on Greenland, without giving details.
Reactions are mixed. In Denmark, there is cautious relief, with Foreign Minister Rasmussen saying that the day is still ending better than it began. German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil advises against jumping to conclusions and waiting to see what happens. It is still unclear what agreements were reached between Trump and Rutte, he said.
Other EU member states also see a need for clarification. European Council President Antonio Costa, however, sees no reason to cancel the planned extraordinary summit, scheduled for Wednesday evening, January 22. On the contrary, he assures that the topic of "The State of Transatlantic Relations" remains relevant.
And these relations are in crisis, Europe needs to reorient itself - this is the conclusion drawn by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen before the European Parliament. "We are at a crossroads", she said. Europe prefers dialogue, but is ready to react. "In this increasingly lawless world, Europe needs its own levers of power."
The Brussels summit
What the EU's new sense of power might look like will be discussed tonight at a special summit in Brussels. The latest change in US President Donald Trump's position has brought some relief, but trust in him is far from restored.
Authors: Helga Schmidt (ARD) | Arne Schulz (ARD)