Ukraine security sidelined as EU focuses on Greenland in Trump talks at Davos
Photo: Swiss city of Davos (weforum.org)
EU leaders are pushing the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine into the background due to Greenland during talks with US President Donald Trump in Davos, the Financial Times reports.
According to the media outlet's sources, European leaders had initially planned to use the World Economic Forum in Davos, which began today, to secure security guarantees for Ukraine after the end of the war with Russia. However, priorities have now shifted.
According to the Financial Times, today’s meeting of national security advisers in Davos was originally convened to discuss Ukraine, but it will now focus on Greenland.
Overall, the issue of Ukraine has been sidelined in Davos through a mix of “carrots and sticks” tactics—namely, ways Brussels could respond to Trump’s new tariffs, alongside proposals for de-escalation.
“Three days ago, EU leaders were preparing to spend this week in Davos convincing Trump to promise security guarantees to postwar Ukraine. Today, they wake wondering whether they can even trust his promises to them,” the article says.
The 56th session of the World Economic Forum is taking place in Switzerland from January 19 to 23. More than 60 heads of state and government are expected to attend.
“How can you sit down across the table with this guy and discuss his security guarantees to Ukraine? You can’t trust him, unless you suspend reality,” one diplomat was quoted as saying.
EU leaders are expected to hold an emergency summit later this week, tentatively scheduled for Thursday, following meetings with Trump in Davos.
Trump’s tariffs and the EU response
On January 17, US President Donald Trump announced tariffs against a number of countries that do not agree with his claims over Greenland. He stressed that if the United States does not obtain the island by June 1, 2026, tariffs will rise to 25 percent.
In response, eight NATO countries issued a joint statement reacting to Trump’s tariff threats. Allied leaders said such actions undermine transatlantic relations.
The European Union is also considering imposing tariffs on the United States in response to Trump’s threats.
Davos forum
The 56th World Economic Forum begins on January 19 in the Swiss city of Davos and will run until January 23.
The event will bring together around 3,000 participants from more than 130 countries, including a high-level Ukrainian delegation. Key topics include geopolitics, artificial intelligence, and Ukraine’s reconstruction.
According to media reports, Kirill Dmitriev, a special envoy of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, will attend the Davos forum for the first time since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion to hold talks with a US delegation.
