Trump moves to swallow Greenland at any cost…sets up a blockbuster showdown [Lee Sang-eun’s Washington Now]

US takes over Davos…Trump: “We will discuss Greenland”

The Donald Trump administration attended the World Economic Forum (Davos Forum·WEF), which opened on the 19th (local time) in Davos, Switzerland, together with White House cabinet members, underscoring America’s hegemonic standing and its “peace through strength” message. With fissures in the transatlantic alliance between the US and Europe widening in earnest over Greenland, the administration has effectively chosen Davos—at the heart of Europe—as its stage to press its case.

According to the Davos Forum, this year’s event will draw some 3,000 participants from about 130 countries. While 64 top-level figures, including heads of state, will attend, the biggest focus among them is the United States.

After taking part in the Davos Forum via video address shortly after his inauguration last year, President Trump has assembled a record-size delegation this year. Attendees include US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer, along with several other senior officials, as well as Steve Witkoff, the president’s special envoy for the Middle East, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s eldest son-in-law. The delegation plans to open an “America House” on site to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence and hold meetings with delegations from various countries over the course of a week.

President Trump is set to deliver a special address at the Davos Forum at 2:30 p.m. on the 21st (10:30 p.m. Korea time) and host a reception to network with chief executive officers (CEOs) and other business leaders. Leading the US delegation and holding daily press briefings on site, Secretary Bessent will speak on the 20th afternoon, emphasizing an “era of parallel prosperity” in which “Main Street (manufacturing) and Wall Street (finance) grow together.” He also plans to meet He Lifeng, vice premier of China’s State Council, who was his counterpart in last year’s US-China tariff talks.

As the event increasingly revolves around President Trump, Davos’s overarching themes have shifted as well. Global issues such as narrowing inequality, sustainability, climate change, and tax coordination have all but vanished, leaving trade and artificial intelligence (AI) as core agenda items. The New York Times assessed that “submission to Trump replaced everything.”

The United States is not even trying to hide that it is deliberately leveraging Davos. A US administration official told Axios, “(The Trump administration) will showcase America’s economic hegemony, challenge Europe’s underperformance, and present a bold image of confronting rivals head-on.”

Speaking with reporters after attending an American football game, President Trump said, “We need to get it (Greenland),” adding that he would discuss the issue at the Davos Forum this week. With leaders from across Europe in attendance, there is a possibility Trump may put forward some kind of proposal. In an NBC interview released the same day, Trump replied “no comment” when asked about the possibility of using a military option. However, the prevailing view is that the likelihood of actual military action against Europe is very low, and that the remark is intended as a negotiating threat.

He also said, in connection with French President Emmanuel Macron effectively refusing to join the Gaza peace committee, “I will impose a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne,” adding, “And he will join.” The comment implies he would respond with tariffs if France does not participate in the committee. It is also seen as reflecting displeasure at Macron’s push to activate the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI), widely described as Europe’s “trade bazooka,” in response to the Greenland dispute.

Washington=Correspondent Lee Sang-eun selee@hankyung.com