OTTAWA — U.S. President Donald Trump is continuing to talk about taking over Greenland as he heads to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum, where he is scheduled to speak Wednesday and meet with other world leaders.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Trump’s tariff threat on European countries opposed to a Greenlandic takeover are “a mistake” and bring up questions of the president’s trustworthiness after promises last year not to impose further tariffs on EU nations.
Trump went on a posting blitz on his social media platform, Truth Social, in the early morning hours focused on Greenland.
His posts include an AI-generated photo of him meeting in the Oval Office with European leaders and a map of the Western Hemisphere that shows American flags over Greenland, Canada, Cuba and Venezuela.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday he is “concerned” about the U.S. ratcheting up its talk of taking over Greenland and he would relay that to Trump if he sees him in Davos.
The Prime Minister’s Office released a readout early Tuesday of a conversation between Carney and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday.
The readout says both leaders reaffirmed their position that the future of Greenland is up to its people and Denmark. Carney also talked about military investments Canada is making for Arctic defence.
French President Emmanuel Macron said during his speech at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday that U.S. trade agreements are looking to weaken and subordinate Europe, something that is fundamentally unacceptable.
Macron said this is even more unacceptable when used to extort territorial sovereignty, a nod toward Trump’s tariff threats against France and other nations.
Macron said “accepting a new colonial approach doesn’t make sense.”
The French president said that he plans to use France’s presidency of the G7 this year to work toward co-operation among world powers and show they can work together constructively.
Macron wore aviator sunglasses during his World Economic Forum speech, a style of shades favoured by former U.S. president Joe Biden.
Carney is scheduled to speak at the World Economic Forum later on Tuesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2026.
– with files from The Associated Press
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
