FT: Europeans plan to talk to Trump in Davos about Greenland instead of Ukraine

EU leaders and delegations who are set to meet US President Donald Trump or his representatives on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, are preparing to shift their focus away from Ukraine towards Greenland and the announcement of new US tariffs.

As reported by the Financial Times, EU leaders had been preparing to spend this week in Davos persuading Trump to provide security guarantees for post-war Ukraine. Instead, they have woken up to the question of whether his promises can be trusted at all.

The storm surrounding Trump's desire to take control of Greenland has escalated from a bilateral dispute into what the article describes as the most serious threat to NATO in decades and the deepest rift in transatlantic relations.

A European diplomat said that EU leaders and their delegations due to meet Trump and US officials in Davos are tearing up their notes and replacing them with what the source described as a carrot-and-stick approach – outlining how Brussels could respond to Trump's tariffs alongside proposals for de-escalation.

The diplomat said it was unclear how anyone could sit down at the negotiating table with Trump and discuss his security guarantees for Ukraine, adding that he could not be trusted unless reality itself were "switched off".

EU leaders will convene an emergency summit later this week, provisionally scheduled for Thursday 22 January, following meetings with Trump in Davos.

In addition, according to the media outlet, a meeting of national security advisers from Western countries has already taken place in Davos. Although it was initially convened to discuss Ukraine, the focus ultimately shifted to Greenland.

A meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Brussels will also be devoted to discussing the crisis, the article said.

In the meantime, some within the EU remain optimistic, believing that Trump has made empty threats before and that over the past year Europe has faced similar moments but ultimately found ways to force him to back down.

In particular, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who spoke with Trump the day before, said that he was "interested in listening to" a possible compromise.

On 17 January, US President Donald Trump announced plans to introduce tariffs against a number of countries that do not agree with his claims over Greenland.

Earlier, Denmark sent military equipment and an advance contingent of troops to Greenland to prepare for the arrival of larger forces from the army and other allied units for military exercises. Several countries have also deployed their own troops.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen defended Europe's position in support of Denmark and Greenland and warned of the negative consequences of Donald Trump's decisions on tariffs.