AFP USA

US President Donald Trump for the first time ruled out using force to take Greenland as he addressed world leaders in Davos Wednesday, but demanded “immediate negotiations” to acquire the island from Denmark.Trump’s quest to take control of Greenland from a NATO ally has deeply shaken the global order and the markets, and it dominated his first address to the World Economic Forum in six years.In a speech lasting more than an hour in the Swiss ski resort, Trump slammed “ungrateful” Denmark for refusing to give up Greenland, and said the United States alone could guarantee the security of the “giant piece of ice”.But Trump appeared to take the threat of military action off the table, in a dramatic turnaround from his previous threats that the US could use force to take control of the mineral-rich Arctic island.”We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable — but I won’t do that,” Trump said.”I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.”Wall Street stocks opened higher Wednesday after Trump’s comments.Denmark said it was a “positive” sign that Trump had said he wanted to avoid military force — but stressed that the US president had not backed away from his push to acquire Greenland.”What is quite clear after this speech is that the president’s ambition remains intact,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.Greenland’s government meanwhile unveiled a new brochure on Wednesday offering advice to the population in the event of a “crisis” in the territory, saying it was an “insurance policy”. – ‘Immediate negotiations’ -Trump repeatedly pushed his claims to Greenland — which he mistakenly called Iceland several times — during lengthy remarks on the deepest crisis in transatlantic relations for decades.He said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States” and added that Washington would “remember” if Denmark said no.Trump says Greenland is under threat from Russia and China.The US president also lambasted Europe on a number of fronts from security to tariffs and the economy, saying it was “not heading in the right direction”. Trump flew into Davos by helicopter, stepping onto a red carpet laid in the snow — but he flew into a growing international storm over Greenland.He arrived some two hours behind schedule, after an electrical issue earlier forced Air Force One to turn back to Washington and the president to switch planes.Europe and Canada had earlier closed ranks against what they view as a threat to the US-led global order from Trump’s territorial ambitions.Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney won a standing ovation at Davos on Tuesday when he warned of a “rupture” to the US-led system. French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile said Europe would not be bullied.But Trump, who was due to meet a number of leaders in Davos, renewed his attacks on the two leaders, mocking Macron in particular for wearing sunglasses at Davos, which the French president said was because of an eye condition.- ‘Thoughtful diplomacy’ -Trump also repeatedly expressed doubts on NATO during his speech, saying Washington was treated “so unfairly” and questioning whether the alliance would defend the United States if asked.NATO chief Mark Rutte, whom Trump was due to meet in Davos, said Wednesday that “thoughtful diplomacy” was needed to resolve the crisis. The Greenland row has also soured relations with the European Union, which has threatened countermeasures after Trump vowed tariffs of up to 25 percent on eight European countries for backing Denmark.But Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a Trump ally, told AFP after the “very important” speech: “I think the situation will be calm.” He said he understood the US leader’s stance amid Russian pressure at EU borders.In a speech that veered from topic to topic, Trump also expressed hope of ending the Ukraine war soon, saying he expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos on Thursday.Also on Thursday, meanwhile, Trump is set to formally announce the first charter of his so-called “Board of Peace”, a body for resolving international conflicts with a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership.burs-dk/rlp

A US House panel was set to vote Wednesday on whether to launch contempt of Congress proceedings against Bill and Hillary Clinton over their refusal to testify before its politically charged investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The Republican-led House Oversight Committee is weighing two resolutions accusing the former president and former secretary of state of defying subpoenas to appear in person before investigators.If approved, the measures advance to the full House of Representatives, also majority Republican, which would decide whether to formally cite the Democratic power couple for contempt and refer them to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution.The vote underscores how the Epstein affair continues to cast a long shadow over Washington, entangling some of the most prominent names in US politics.Lawmakers are examining how authorities handled earlier investigations into Epstein, whose 2019 death in custody as he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges was ruled a suicide.The Clintons say the probe is being weaponized to attack political opponents of President Donald Trump — himself a longtime Epstein associate who has not been called to testify — rather than to conduct legitimate oversight.Trump spent months trying to block the disclosure of the files linked to Epstein, who moved in elite circles for years, cultivating close ties with business tycoons, politicians, academics and celebrities to whom he was suspected of trafficking girls and young women for sex.The president and his Justice Department officials are accused by Democrats of a cover-up, having released only a fraction of the case files it was required by law to make public more than a month ago.  Neither Trump nor the Clintons have been accused of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein.But Republicans say the Democratic couple’s past links to the disgraced financier, including Bill Clinton’s use of his private jet in the early 2000s, justify in‑person questioning under oath.- ‘Ridiculous offer’ -The contempt push followed oversight committee Chairman James Comer’s rejection of a last‑minute offer for a narrower interview with Bill Clinton in New York.Comer said the proposal would have limited questioning to a single lawmaker, barring colleagues from participating and producing no official transcript — terms he said violate standard committee practice.”I have rejected the Clintons’ ridiculous offer,” Comer said, accusing them of seeking special treatment because of their name.Clinton representatives dispute that account, saying they never opposed testimony being on the record or under oath. In refusal letters, the couple argue that the subpoenas are invalid because they lack a clear legislative purpose.Instead, the Clintons submitted sworn written statements describing their knowledge of Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking.Comer announced that Maxwell had been scheduled to give a deposition before the committee’s investigators on February 9, although he said he expected her to assert her constitutional right to remain silent to avoid self-incrimination.Bill Clinton acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane in the early 2000s for Clinton Foundation-related humanitarian work but said he never visited Epstein’s private island.Hillary Clinton said she had no meaningful interactions with Epstein, never flew on his plane and never visited his island. The committee vote exposes divisions among Democrats, some of whom privately acknowledge that no one should be beyond scrutiny in efforts to uncover the full scope of Epstein’s crimes. Others fear that advancing the contempt resolutions plays into a partisan strategy to shift attention away from Trump’s own past contacts with Epstein and from criticism that his administration has moved slowly to release all related records.”We have offered to help, we have helped, and to this very moment we are ready to help,” Bill Clinton’s deputy chief of staff Angel Urena posted on X.”But the Republicans REFUSE to say YES.”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday of “politicising” the institution, ratcheting up pressure on the central bank.President Donald Trump has accused Powell of not moving faster to cut interest rates, and the Fed chief revealed this month that the Justice Department has launched an investigation into him — a move former Fed chairs labelled an effort to undermine the bank’s independence.Bessent on Wednesday criticised Powell for planning to attend a Supreme Court hearing on Trump’s attempt to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook, calling his presence “a political statement”.”I am not sure why Chair Powell would go and support Governor Cook when the Fed has not undertaken an examination of whether she did in fact commit mortgage fraud,” Bessent said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, citing allegations Cook has denied.”The Fed should not be politicised. He is politicising the Fed.”Trump has anchored his attempt to remove Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the central bank’s board of governors, on mortgage fraud allegations.She challenged the removal attempt and the Supreme Court allowed her to remain in her post until it hears her case. She has not been charged with a crime.Trump renewed criticism of Powell in Davos on Wednesday, blaming Fed policymaking for holding back his achievements.”They stop you from being successful,” he said, adding that he planned to announce a new Fed chairman in the “not-too-distant future”, with Powell’s term at the helm ending in May.This month, Powell revealed that US prosecutors had opened an inquiry into him over an ongoing renovation of the Fed’s headquarters.Prosecutors sent the Fed subpoenas and threatened a criminal indictment relating to testimony Powell gave last summer about the remodelling. Powell has dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated attempt to influence the central bank’s interest rate setting, and the heads of major central banks have thrown their support behind him.Trump has said he will judge Powell’s successor on whether they immediately cut rates.

US President Donald Trump ruled out using force to take Greenland for the first time as he addressed world leaders in Davos Wednesday, but demanded “immediate negotiations” to acquire the island from Denmark.Trump’s quest to take control of Greenland from a NATO ally has deeply shaken the global order and the markets, and it dominated his first address to the World Economic Forum in six years.In a speech lasting more than an hour in the Swiss ski resort, Trump slammed “ungrateful” Denmark for refusing to give up Greenland, and said the United States alone could guarantee the security of the “giant piece of ice”.But Trump appeared to take the threat of military action off the table, in a dramatic turnaround from his previous threats that the US could use force to take control of the mineral-rich Arctic island.”We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable — but I won’t do that,” Trump said.”I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.”Wall Street stocks opened higher Wednesday after Trump’s comments.- ‘Immediate negotiations’ -Trump however pushed his claims to what he called “our territory” — and mistakenly called it Iceland on several occasions — during lengthy remarks on the deepest crisis in transatlantic relations for decades.He said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States” and added that Washington would “remember” if Denmark said no.Trump says Greenland is under threat from Russia and China.The US president also lambasted Europe on a number of fronts from security to tariffs and the economy, saying it was “not heading in the right direction”. Trump flew into Davos by helicopter, stepping onto a red carpet laid in the snow — but he flew into a growing international storm over Greenland.He arrived some two hours behind schedule, after an electrical issue earlier forced Air Force One to turn back to Washington and switch planes.In a sign of dissent against Trump, the words “No Kings” were dug into the snow overlooking mountain-fringed Davos overnight, referring to a US protest slogan.Europe and Canada had earlier closed ranks against what they view as a threat to the US-led global order from Trump’s territorial ambitions over semi-autonomous Greenland.In Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday he would not “yield” to pressure from Trump on Greenland.Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney won a standing ovation at Davos on Tuesday when he warned of a “rupture” to the US-led system. French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile said Europe would not be bullied.But Trump, who was due to meet a number of leaders in Davos, renewed his attacks on the French president and Canadian premier.He mocked Macron for wearing sunglasses at Davos, which the French president said was because of an eye condition, and said that Carney “wasn’t so grateful” and that Canada “lives because of the United States”.- ‘Thoughtful diplomacy’ -Earlier, NATO chief Mark Rutte told Davos on Wednesday that “thoughtful diplomacy” was needed, as Trump’s claims over Greenland provoke an existential crisis for the group.Rutte also pushed back against Trump after the US leader said he doubted NATO would come to the aid of the United States if asked. “I tell him, yes they will,” Rutte said.Trump however repeated his doubts on NATO during his speech, saying Washington was treated “so unfairly”.The Greenland row has also soured relations with the European Union, which has threatened countermeasures after Trump vowed tariffs of up to 25 percent on eight European countries for backing Denmark.But Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a Trump ally, told AFP after the “very important” speech: “I think the situation will be calm.” He said he understood the US leader’s stance amid Russian pressure at EU borders.In a speech that veered from topic to topic, Trump also boasted of his achievements since his return to power a year and a day ago. He last spoke at Davos in his first term in 2020.Trump unleashed his trademark anti-migrant rhetoric, particularly against Somalis in the United States — while hailing the US economy as the “engine” of the world.The US president also expressed hope of ending the Ukraine war soon, saying he expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos on Thursday.Also on Thursday, meanwhile, Trump is set to formally announce the first charter of his so-called “Board of Peace”, a body for resolving international conflicts with a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership.burs-dk/rlp

It looked like a rock concert: hundreds of the world’s rich and powerful stood in a massive line for a precious seat to hear US President Donald Trump deliver his speech in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.After a two-hour wait, the doors to the World Economic Forum’s congress hall closed to the disappointment of many who had to scramble for spots in four overflow rooms to watch him on television screens.The exclusive crowd included executives of top companies, academics and politicians — even the president of Latvia, Edgars Rinkevics, was stuck in line at one point before an aide guided him elsewhere.”It’s like a rock festival,” one attendee said. Another watched Trump’s helicopter landing in the mountain retreat on her phone.Some voiced concern about the escalating tensions between Trump and Europe over this bid to seize Greenland, an issue that has overshadowed the annual schmoozefest’s agenda.”I expect the worst. From what we know from Trump, he always needs to have all the attention and he needs to have a shocker message,” Julia Binder, of IMD Business School, told AFP.And shock he did.In one overflow room, attendees laughed and gasped throughout his speech.Guffaws when Trump talked about wind farms killing birds. Nervous laughs when he said he was asking for “a piece of ice”, meaning Greenland. Others gasped “oh no” when he said: “Canada lives because of the United States.” Another said: “Oh my goodness!” when Trump recalled that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte once referred to him as “daddy”.And more laughs when he mocked French President Emmanuel Macron for wearing sunglasses — due to a burst blood vessel — during his own speech on Tuesday.”I would say he’s gone from neocon to neo-imperial,” one attendee whispered in another room.An hour into Trump’s rambling speech, some people started to leave from overflow rooms.- ‘Piece of rock’ -Some said Davos was a place to listen to different voices.”Davos is a platform for and exchange of ideas, of views. So we are here to listen to all views, whether we like them or not,” said Daniel Marokane, chief executive of a South African power company.It was Trump’s first in-person visit to Davos since 2020. Last year, he addressed the Davos crowd via a livestream, warning that he would impose tariffs on their companies if they did not move production to the United States. Greenland has replaced tariffs as the topic of the week.”What I can’t understand is why are we fighting over a piece of rock covered with ice,” Ken Griffin, the billionaire head of the Citadel pension fund, said at a panel hours before Trump’s arrival.”The United States has access to military bases in Greenland,” he said. “We don’t need Greenland.”

US President Donald Trump touched down in a tense Davos on Wednesday to give an “America First” speech that will push his world-shaking bid to seize control of Greenland.Trump’s claims over the Danish territory have dominated the meeting in the Swiss ski resort, where Trump landed by helicopter, stepping onto a red carpet laid in the snow.He arrived at the World Economic Forum some two hours behind schedule, after an electrical issue earlier forced Air Force One to turn back to Washington.The 79-year-old doubled down on his claims over the strategic Arctic island before arriving, but Europe and Canada have closed ranks against what they view as a threat to the US-led global order.Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney warned at Davos of a “rupture” to the US-led system while NATO’s chief called on Wednesday for “thoughtful diplomacy” to resolve one of the biggest crises in transatlantic relations for decades.The united stand drew a rebuke from Trump’s Treasury chief Scott Bessent, who told Europeans to “take a deep breath” and wait for the president’s arrival to see what he has to say.”Do not have this reflexive anger that we’ve seen,” Bessent told reporters in Davos.Trump’s speech would have an “America First feel” and was expected to touch on Greenland and the US military operation to seize Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro “in the context of his Western Hemisphere focus,” a senior US official said.Huge lines of the world’s business and political elite queued up to see Trump’s speech, with hundreds turned away, AFP reporters saw.He will also tout the US economy, amid growing frustration over the cost of living that could damage Trump’s Republican party in the 2026 midterm elections.Trump is also expected to hold around five bilateral meetings with European leaders in Davos, the official said..But in a sign of the dissent against Trump, the words “No Kings” were dug into the snow overlooking mountain-fringed Davos overnight, referring to a US protest slogan.- ‘Thoughtful diplomacy’ -Trump insists mineral-rich Greenland is vital for US and NATO security against Russia and China as a melting Arctic opens up and the superpowers jostle for strategic advancement.But NATO chief Mark Rutte told Davos on Wednesday that “thoughtful diplomacy” was needed, as Trump’s claims over another ally’s territory provoke an existential crisis for the group.”There are these tensions at the moment, there’s no doubt,” said Rutte, who has been dubbed the “Trump whisperer” for his ability to deal with the US president.Rutte also pushed back against Trump, who has long told other countries to pay more for the alliance, and who on Tuesday said he doubted NATO would come to the aid of the United States if asked.”I tell him, yes they will,” Rutte said.France called meanwhile Wednesday for a NATO exercise in Greenland “and is ready to contribute to it”, Macron’s office said.The French president had warned at Davos on Tuesday against US attempts to “subordinate Europe”, and blasted Trump’s “unacceptable” threats to impose tariffs on allies over Greenland.Europe has threatened countermeasures after Trump turned up the pressure by threatening levies of up to 25 percent on eight European countries for backing Denmark.- ‘Rupture’ -Canada’s Carney — who has sought to reduce his own country’s dependence on Washington since Trump called for it to become the 51st US state — won a rare standing ovation at Davos for his stance.”We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” Carney said of the US-led global system of governance.Greenland’s prime minister said Tuesday that his tiny population of 57,000 must be prepared for military force.On Thursday, meanwhile, Trump is set to formally announce the first charter of his so-called “Board of Peace,” a body for resolving international conflicts with a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership.burs-dk/gv

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday of “politicizing” the institution as the Trump administration intensified its pressure campaign on the central bank.President Donald Trump has railed against Powell for not moving faster to lower interest rates, and the Justice Department this month launched a criminal investigation into Powell — a move former Fed chairs labeled an effort to undermine the central bank’s independence.Bessent on Wednesday criticized Powell’s decision to attend a Supreme Court hearing on Trump’s attempt to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook, calling his presence “a political statement.””I am not sure why Chair Powell would go and support Governor Cook when the Fed has not undertaken an examination of whether she did in fact commit mortgage fraud,” Bessent said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, citing allegations Cook has denied.”The Fed should not be politicized. He is politicizing the Fed.”Trump has centered his attempt to remove Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the central bank’s board of governors, on mortgage fraud allegations. Cook has challenged the removal attempt, and the Supreme Court has allowed her to remain in her post until it hears her case. She has not been charged with a crime.This month, Powell revealed that US prosecutors had opened an inquiry into him over an ongoing renovation of the Fed’s headquarters. Prosecutors sent the Fed subpoenas and threatened a criminal indictment relating to testimony Powell gave last summer about the remodeling. Powell has dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated attempt to influence the central bank’s interest rate setting, and the heads of major central banks have thrown their support behind him.Powell’s term as chairman of the Federal Reserve ends in May, though Trump has attempted to force him out over disagreements on interest rates.Trump has said he would judge Powell’s successor on whether the person immediately cuts rates.

NATO chief Mark Rutte said Wednesday “thoughtful diplomacy” was needed to deal with tensions over Greenland, as President Donald Trump headed to Davos pushing US claims on the territory.”I see that there are these tensions at the moment, there’s no doubt. Again, I’m not going to comment on that, but I can assure you, the only way to deal with that is, in the end, thoughtful diplomacy,” Rutte said at the World Economic Forum.”You can be assured that I’m working on this issue behind the scenes, but I cannot do it in public.”The alliance head is set to meet Trump in the Swiss ski resort as the president’s push to take over Greenland from Denmark has rocked NATO.Rutte has sought to deflect Trump’s interest in the Danish autonomous territory into a broader discussion at NATO on bolstering Arctic security.”When it comes to the Arctic, I think President Trump is right. Other leaders in NATO are right. We need to defend the Arctic,” he said.Rutte dismissed fears that the crisis over Greenland could cause to the collapse of the 76-year-old alliance.”NATO is crucial, not only for the defence of Europe, but also for the defence of the United States,” he said.”For the United States to stay safe, you need a safe Arctic, a safe Atlantic and a safe Europe.”The NATO secretary general pushed back at repeated comments from Trump casting doubt on whether Europe would help defend the United States if asked.”I tell him, yes they will,” Rutte said.”I have no doubt the US will come to the rescue here, and we will come to the rescue of the US.”Speaking alongside Rutte in Davos, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he believed a diplomatic solution could be found on Greenland.”You have two schools of thought here on Greenland. One is to de-escalate, and the other one is to escalate, to de-escalate. And I think at the end of the day, we’ll find an off ramp,” he said.Trump has threatened to slap tariffs on European allies who oppose his designs on Greenland — leading the European Union to mull hitting back against Washington with trade countermeasures.

A NASA astronaut who was stuck in space for nine months because of problems with her spacecraft has retired after 27 years of service, the space agency said Tuesday.Suni Williams stepped down from her post on December 27 — making her ill-fated mission her last journey to space.Williams and fellow astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore set out on an eight-day mission in June 2024 to test fly Boeing’s new Starliner capsule on its first crewed mission when they were unexpectedly marooned.Despite the incident, Williams on Tuesday called her time with NASA “an incredible honor.””Anyone who knows me knows that space is my absolute favorite place to be,” she said in a statement.Boeing’s new Starliner developed propulsion issues while Williams and Wilmore were traveling to the International Space Station (ISS) and it was deemed unfit to fly back.The technical problems prompted NASA to entrust the return of their astronauts to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, snubbing Boeing.The two veteran astronauts finally returned safely back to Earth with SpaceX in March 2025. Wilmore announced his retirement in August that same year.NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement on Tuesday that Williams had been a “trailblazer in human spaceflight,” adding that she shaped the “future of exploration through her leadership aboard the space station” and paved the way for commercial missions to low Earth orbit.During her career, Williams logged 608 days in space — the second most cumulative time in space by a NASA astronaut, the agency said.She also ranks sixth on the list of longest single spaceflights by an American due to the Starliner incident, NASA added.Williams has completed nine spacewalks totaling 62 hours, the most spacewalk time by a woman and fourth-most on the all-time cumulative spacewalk duration list.

US President Donald Trump descends on Davos for a showdown with European leaders Wednesday as his bid to seize Greenland threatens to tear the transatlantic alliance apart.Trump — whose arrival in Davos was delayed when a “minor electrical issue” forced his presidential jet to turn back shortly after takeoff — mocked the Europeans a day before heading to the World Economic Forum over the fate of the autonomous Danish territory.But leaders gathered at the Swiss ski resort have closed ranks against Trump’s aggressive stance, with French President Emmanuel Macron vowing to stand against “bullies” and Canada’s Mark Carney warning of a “rupture, not a transition” to the US-led global order.The united stand drew a rebuke from Trump’s Treasury chief Scott Bessent, who told Europeans to “take a deep breath”.”Do not have this reflexive anger that we’ve seen and this bitterness,” Bessent told reporters in Davos hours before Trump’s arrival. “Why don’t they sit down, wait for President Trump to get here and listen to his argument,” he said.Trump, who was originally scheduled to give a speech to the annual gathering of the world’s economic and political elite at 2:30 pm (1330 GMT), will be about three hours late to Davos, Bessent said, after the president was forced to switch planes.Trump said he would have a number of meetings on Greenland at Davos, as his designs on the vast island open the biggest rift between Washington and Europe in decades.Asked how far he was prepared to go to acquire Greenland from Denmark, a fellow NATO member, Trump told reporters: “You’ll find out.”As he left the White House, the president admitted he had “no idea” how the trip to Davos would pan out.- ‘Rupture’ -Trump insists mineral-rich Greenland is vital for US and NATO security against Russia and China as a melting Arctic opens up and the superpowers jostle for strategic advancement.He has turned up the pressure by threatening tariffs of up to 25 percent on eight European countries for backing Denmark, prompting Europe to threaten countermeasures against the United States.Trump dismissed European threats to fire a trade “bazooka” at the United States.”Anything they do with us… all I have to do is meet it and it’s going to go ricocheting backward,” he said in an interview with News Nation.”But we’re not looking into that. We’ll probably be able to work something out, possibly even during the next few days,” he added.At Davos on Tuesday, Macron warned against US attempts to “subordinate Europe”, and blasted Trump’s tariff threats as “unacceptable.”France called Wednesday for a NATO exercise in Greenland, “and is ready to contribute to it”, Macron’s office said.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for her part warned that Trump risked plunging US ties with the European Union into a “downward spiral”.And Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney — who has sought to reduce his own country’s dependence on Washington since Trump called for it to become the 51st US state — won a standing ovation at Davos for his stance.”We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” Carney said of the US-led global system of governance.”Call it what it is: a system of intensifying great power rivalry where the most powerful pursue their interests using economic integration as coercion.”In his own Davos speech, the White House said Trump wanted to focus on the US economy amid a cost-of-living crisis that threatens his Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.But the US president’s extraordinary assertion of US power on the world stage one year into his second term means Greenland will form the backdrop to the address.Greenland’s prime minister said Tuesday his tiny population of 57,000 must be prepared for military force.On Thursday, meanwhile, Trump is set to formally announce the first charter of his so-called “Board of Peace,” a body for resolving international conflicts with a $1-billion price tag for permanent membership.The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, but a draft of the charter seen by AFP does not appear to limit its role to the occupied Palestinian territory.