![\"Mike](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/\/dc60484b-92d8-4c54-93d4-e4d81ffd9463.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt is \u201ctime to build a new, independent Europe\u201d, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, has told world and business leaders at Davos.<\/p>\n
She said that current geopolitical shocks are forcing Brussels to \u201cbuild a new form of European independence\u201d.<\/p>\n
Von der Leyen added that Europe has \u201cdone more on defence than decades before\u201d.<\/p>\n
Trade war \u2018would be very, very damaging\u2019, Irish PM warns<\/p>\n
Irish prime minister Miche\u00e1l Martin has said that he hopes that \u201ccommon sense will prevail\u201d in relation to US threats to take over Greenland.<\/p>\n
He was speaking as President Trump and other leaders head to Davos for the World Economic Forum.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had big difficulties last year, I think last year we managed to avoid reacting to every single statement that gets issued, or a statement that doesn\u2019t get issued,\u201d he said in Dublin.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I would hope that common sense will prevail here in the interests of all our people that we represent, both in Europe and in the US, because a trade war would be very, very damaging indeed to workers across Europe, workers across the United States and indeed the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greenland \u2018not a natural part of Denmark\u2019: Kremlin<\/p>\n
The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has claimed that Greenland is not \u201ca natural part\u201d of Denmark and that the problem of former colonial territories was becoming more acute.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Lavrov said Russia had no interest in interfering in Greenland\u2019s affairs and that Washington knew that Moscow itself had no plans to take control of the island.<\/p>\n
Donald Trump has said he wants full US control of Greenland for national security reasons and on Saturday announced tariffs on imports from European allies that oppose a potential US takeover.<\/p>\n
Trump is \u2018trolling\u2019 the UK, Thornberry says <\/p>\n
Dame Emily Thornberry, chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, has called for calm and branded Trump\u2019s statements \u201cpresidential trolling\u201d. <\/p>\n
The Labour MP told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: \u201cMy first reaction is: breathe. Breathe. This is an example of presidential trolling. We\u2019ve always said, haven\u2019t we, that we don\u2019t take him literally, but we need to take him seriously.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was only a few months ago, in fact I have in front of me a press release from May 22 from Marco Rubio, where he said the US welcomed this historic agreement \u2026 So who knows?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Mass US military resignations\u2019 if US invades Greenland<\/p>\n
Senior members of the US military would resign if Donald Trump invaded Greenland, according to a prominent journalist.<\/p>\n
Gerry Baker, a Times and Wall Street Journal columnist, told Times Radio: \u201cI\u2019m reliably informed by sources in the United States that if he did invade Greenland, there would be a mass resignation by senior members of the US military, apart from anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI\u2019m certain of that. This would be an illegal act, not just against international law, which some of us might have a rather cynical, skeptical view about the power of international law. after all, who enforces it. But this will be a breach of US law, a clear breach of US law.\u201d<\/p>\n
Baker said he believed Trump was \u201cexercising hyperbole\u201d and would not resort to a military invasion of Greenland.<\/p>\n
US speaker tries to calm US-UK tensions <\/p>\n
Mike Johnson addresses MPs<\/p>\n
The speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has attempted to calm transatlantic tensions over Greenland and Chagos islands, assuring MPs that the Trump administration still valued its relationship with the UK.<\/p>\n
In an address to parliament, Johnson, who is a close political ally of the president, praised Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s comments after Trump threatened to raise tariffs on the UK and said the two countries would \u201cwork through our differences calmly and as friends\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to President Trump yesterday at length and told him I really felt that my mission here was to encourage our friends and help calm the waters and I hope to do so,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe work through our differences calmly and as friends. I want to assure you this morning that is still the case.\u201d<\/p>\n
Johnson added that he told Starmer that his address on Monday was \u201cwell done\u201d adding: He (Starmer) noted that the UK and US are close allies and that their strong constructive relationship has been built on mutual respect.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was the right message and the right tone. We have always been able to work through our differences calmly as friends. We will continue to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
No Danish ministers in Davos<\/p>\n
While the Danish government is not thought to be sending any ministers to Davos, its business lobby will be out in force.<\/p>\n
The bosses of some of Denmark\u2019s biggest companies are expected to use the pinnacle of the global corporate social calendar to take soundings on the prospect of a transatlantic trade war.<\/p>\n
Among those due to attend are the chief executives of Maersk, a vast shipping company that has many logistics contracts with the Pentagon, and the pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, which supplies about two fifths of America\u2019s fat jabs and insulin.<\/p>\n
Macron invites Trump to Paris talks![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/\/54dc2fc2-9043-4a55-927f-24fb5027ee47.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
President Trump with President Macron in New York last year<\/p>\n
EVAN VUCCI\/AP<\/p>\n
President Macron has invited President Trump to Paris for a seven-way summit to defuse the crisis over Greenland and also tackle Ukraine, with the possible presence of Russian and Ukrainian leaders.<\/p>\n
The US president posted Macron\u2019s invitation on his Truth Social network after the latest Trump offensive against Europe over the Danish-controlled territory.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy friend, we are totally in line on Syria. We can do great things on Iran. I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland,\u201d Macron said. \u201cI can set up a G7 meeting after Davos in Paris on Thursday afternoon. I can invite the Ukrainians, the Danish, the Syrians and the Russians in the margins [of the meeting].\u201d<\/p>\n
Macron\u2019s office confirmed that the president had sent the message. EU leaders have already decided to meet in Brussels on Thursday evening for a special summit after Trump\u2019s latest threat to impose tariffs on his European allies over his demand to acquire Greenland.<\/p>\n
There is no indication so far of Trump\u2019s response to Macron\u2019s invitation to Paris, which included an offer of dinner at the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace.<\/p>\n
China invited to join \u2018Board of Peace\u2019 <\/p>\n
China has confirmed that it has received an invitation to join President Trump\u2019s \u201cBoard of Peace\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Chinese side has received the invitation from the US,\u201d said Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry. However, he declined to answer, when asked if Beijing would accept.<\/p>\n
China agreed a fragile trade truce with the United States in October. \u201cOver the past year, China-US relations have experienced ups and downs, but have achieved overall dynamic stability,\u201d the spokesman said.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Putin invited to join Trump\u2019s global \u2018Board of Peace\u2019<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Diplomat behind Chagos deal \u2018too close to China\u2019<\/p>\n Jonathan Powell, who pushed the US to approve the Chagos Islands\u2019 deal, was criticised as being too close to China months after the treaty was signed.<\/p>\n The British national security adviser faced mounting scrutiny over his relationship with Beijing after a Chinese spy trial collapsed, The Times reported in October. <\/p>\n The Chagos deals hands control of the islands to Mauritius, an ally of China.<\/p>\n One cabinet minister said that Powell was too soft on Beijing and risked undermining Britain\u2019s security interests. \u201cI am concerned that a narrative builds up that we are not strong enough on China,\u201d they said. \u201cOur strategic approach to China<\/a> [under Powell] is a little bit fuzzy.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has become almost like a cabinet minister in that the focus is on him and his policy positions, which is never really a great situation to be in as a non-elected official.\u201d<\/p>\n Powell has said Britain should \u201cenhance\u201d its relationship with Beijing in pursuit of a \u201cstable, practical and long-term partnership\u201d.<\/p>\n Analysis: sycophantic texts designed to capture Trump\u2019s attention<\/p>\n Mark \u201ccan\u2019t wait to see\u201d him and finds his accomplishments in Syria \u201cincredible\u201d. Emmanuel thinks they can \u201cbuild great things\u201d and wants him over for dinner in Paris. Alex and Jonas are begging for a phone call: \u201cJust give us a hint of what you prefer!\u201d (writes Oliver Moody in Berlin).<\/p>\n The flurry of leaked texts from the leaders of Nato, France, Finland and Norway to President Trump over the past 24 hours may induce what the Germans call Fremdscham: the feeling of vicarious embarrassment on someone else\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n Yet they also provide a rare insight into how top-level diplomacy works in the Trump 2.0 era.<\/p>\n Rutte, Macron, Stubb, Store and their partners from other European countries have clearly decided that the informal and mildly sycophantic SMS is the most direct way to command Trump\u2019s ever-wandering attention.<\/p>\n European patience with Trump \u2018finally running out\u2019<\/p>\n Bart De Wever, the Belgian prime minister, has claimed Europe\u2019s patience with President Trump is finally running out \u2014 and compared the US president to the Very Hungry Caterpillar.<\/p>\n Speaking at Davos, de Wever said the \u201cEuropean hive was buzzing\u201d in response to a flurry of Trump\u2019s social media splurges and threats over Greenland.<\/p>\n \u201cThings are getting heated back and forth,\u201d he said. \u201cMy feeling is that the sweet-talking is over. Denmark has always been the US\u2019s staunchest ally, and now they\u2019re being treated this way.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd when Nato countries organise military presence in Nato territory and are then threatened, you reach the point where sweet-talking is counterproductive, it only encourages them to go a step further; it\u2019s the Very Hungry Caterpillar.<\/p>\n \u201cMy feeling is that a large majority thinks that enough is enough.\u201d<\/p>\n UK hits back after Trump\u2019s Chagos comments <\/p>\n A British government spokesman has responded to Trump\u2019s comments, saying that the UK \u201cwill never compromise on \u2026 national security\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe acted because the base on Diego Garcia was under threat after court decisions undermined our position and would have prevented it operating as intended in future,\u201d the spokesman said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis deal secures the operations of the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia for generations, with robust provisions for keeping its unique capabilities intact and our adversaries out.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been publicly welcomed by the US, Australia and all other Five Eyes allies, as well as key international partners including India, Japan and South Korea.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s diplomatic slapdown makes life harder for Starmer<\/p>\n Things have just got much worse for Sir Keir Starmer. Just three days after threatening the UK with up to 25 per cent tariffs for standing up for Greenland\u2019s sovereignty, President Trump has now taken an axe to one of the most sensitive issues in transatlantic diplomacy: the Chagos Islands.<\/p>\n The islands, which host the critically important US\/UK base Diego Garcia, are due to be handed back to Mauritius. Diego Garcia will then be leased back at a cost of up to \u00a334 billion for the next 100 years.<\/p>\n The deal was always controversial for the government and Trump has now weighed in, describing Starmer\u2019s decision as an \u201cact of GREAT STUPIDITY\u201d and total weakness\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2022 Read in full: Trump\u2019s Chagos intervention makes life harder for Starmer<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Starmer conciliatory approach to Trump unpopular, says Curtice<\/p>\n Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s conciliatory approach towards President Trump could further damage his popularity, according to polling expert Sir John Curtice.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the truth is it will cause Keir Starmer a problem if the government isn\u2019t able to turn Donald Trump around on Greenland and reduce the sense of anxiety there is among the British public about the geopolitical situation,\u201d he told Times Radio.<\/p>\n Curtice said it reinforced the public\u2019s belief that Starmer was a \u201cproblem solver\u201d rather than somebody \u201cproviding leadership and direction\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2022 Keir Starmer approval rating: the opinion polls tracked<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Chagos agreement was questioned by Rubio<\/p>\n Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, and Mike Waltz, Trump\u2019s national security adviser, did question the deal, particularly because of Mauritius\u2019s deepening economic ties with China.<\/p>\n But British diplomats led by Jonathan Powell lobbied their US counterparts to endorse the agreement.<\/p>\n In April, it emerged that Trump had signed off the deal, which will see Britain pay \u00a390 million a year, rising with inflation for 99 years, to lease back Diego Garcia.<\/p>\n A No 10 spokesman said: \u201cIt\u2019s now between us and the Mauritian government to finalise the deal following the discussions with the US.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump initially backed Chagos deal Starmer and Trump last February<\/p>\n KEVIN LAMARQUE\/EUTERS<\/p>\n President Trump previously backed the UK\u2019s Chagos Islands deal, saying he was \u201cinclined\u201d to accept it.<\/p>\n In what was hailed as a diplomatic victory for Starmer, Trump praised the deal during a joint press conference in the Oval Office, on February 27 last year, where Starmer memorably presented Trump with an invitation to a state visit to Britain from the King.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to have some discussions about that very soon and I have a feeling it\u2019s going to work out very well,\u201d he said. \u201cI think we\u2019ll be inclined to go along with your country.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cThey\u2019re talking about a very long-term, powerful lease, a very strong lease, about 140 years actually. That\u2019s a long time and I think we\u2019ll be inclined to go along with your country. It doesn\u2019t sound bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Gold rises to fresh highs as stock markets fall<\/p>\n Gold and silver prices rose to new highs while stock markets fell as investors sold shares to buy safe-haven assets after President Trump intensified his push to wrest Greenland from Denmark.<\/p>\n Bullion rose $4,700 an ounce for the first time, rising one per cent to $4,719.7. Silver hit a record high of $94.72 before easing back. <\/p>\n The FTSE 100 fell 1.1 per cent this morning to 10,083.93, while Germany\u2019s DAX and France\u2019s CAC 40 both fell by 0.7 per cent. Markets in Asia were also lower.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s threat of extra tariffs on European nations if a deal on Greenland is not reached has revived talk of the \u201csell America\u201d trade that emerged in the aftermath of his sweeping \u201cLiberation Day\u201d levies last April. <\/p>\n A weaker dollar has lifted the pound, up 0.4 per cent to $1.3482<\/p>\n What are Trump\u2019s tariff threats and could the UK retaliate?<\/p>\n President Trump\u2019s threat came out of the blue: from the start of next month, he warned, the United States would impose 10 per cent tariffs on all exports from the United Kingdom and seven other European countries \u201cuntil such a time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland\u201d.<\/p>\n The move blindsided Downing Street<\/a> and even 48 hours later senior government figures are scrambling to get further information from the White House. So what exactly do we know about the US president\u2019s plans, what will their impact be and, as importantly, what is still unclear?<\/p>\n \u2022 Read in full: What are Trump\u2019s tariff threats and could the UK retaliate?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n The prime minister with President Trump in the Oval Office last February<\/p>\n CARL COURT\/PA<\/p>\n Jack Straw, the former Labour foreign secretary, says Sir Keir Starmer is an example of how to handle Trump whom he said was \u201cthe most powerful and one of the least stable people in the world\u201d.<\/p>\n He told Times Radio this morning: \u201cThe British government, as everybody else around the world, is having to handle the most powerful person in the world who is also one of the least stable people in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n He said he was \u201csurprised\u201d when Trump previously appeared to back the Chagos deal.<\/p>\n Speaking alongside Sir Keir Starmer in the Oval Office in February last year, Trump said: \u201cI think we\u2019ll be inclined to go along with your country.\u201d<\/p>\n Straw said if the \u201cUS said they were wholly opposed or even partly opposed \u2026 then it wouldn\u2019t have gone ahead\u201d.<\/p>\n Why the Arctic Circle is in everyone\u2019s sights<\/p>\n For most of recorded history, the icy vastness of the Arctic was regarded as a place of fantastical remoteness. In recent decades, though, global warming has transformed the region, and its wildernesses, once perpetually frozen, have begun to thaw.<\/p>\n As the ice retreats a little further every summer, it has opened up a wealth of natural resources from the Bering Strait to the Barents Sea, as well as possibilities for navigation that once seemed unthinkable. But with those possibilities has come the potential for military conflict.<\/p>\n![\"Starmer](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/\/347cd2b8-a6d3-4525-9a73-26e19e940ac1.jpg\")
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Trump\u2019s provocative AI Greenland flag image ![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/\/aa85308b-0cec-48f7-a8b9-807fe2d77060.jpg\")
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Trump: Chagos deal was \u2018act of great stupidity\u2019<\/p>\n![\"TIMESGRAB](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/\/e683063f-1c4a-48bf-9ab5-dad6cfed3a5b.jpg\")
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