WEF Davos 2026 Updates: Trump Reiterates Claim Of Ending India-Pak War, Says Europe Not Heading In Right Direction

Speaking about immigration enforcement and the role of ICE, Trump claimed his administration is reducing crime across several states, despite what he said was a lack of appreciation in some places.

“We are helping Minnesota, but they don’t appreciate it,” Trump said. It comes after Renee Goof was fatally short by an ICE agent earlier this month.

He claimed Washington, DC is now “safe and beautiful” after the deployment of the military and Guard, saying the city had been “cleaned up”.

Trump says he imposed tariffs on different countries with large economic deficits.

“You’re all party to them, in some cases victim to them but in the end it’s a fair thing and most of you realise that,” he says.

In some cases, such as in Switzerland, Trump says he initially imposed a 30% tariff before reducing this, because he doesn’t want to hurt people.

He says that the “US is keeping the whole world afloat” and it should be paying the lowest interest rate of any countries.

Trump told the audience in Davos that he had threatened French President Emmanuel Macron with sweeping tariffs over drug prices, recounting the exchange in blunt terms.

Trump claimed a drug that costs “$10 in France” was priced at “$130 in the United States”, though he did not specify which medication he was referring to. He said he warned France it would face tariffs unless prices were doubled or tripled.

On tariffs, he says he used them to get favoured nations treatment for drug prices.

He says he did it to secure access to goods without having to pay 13,14,15 times more than certain other countries.

He recounts a conversation he had with French President Emmanuel Macron – and how he threatened to put up tariffs on French goods unless Macron agreed to Trump’s demands on drug prices.

He says the US is not going to subsidise the whole world.

Trump says that if there’s ever a nuclear war, “those missiles will be flying right over the centre of that piece of ice” (that’s Greenland) and he says he needs it to build “the greatest Golden Dome ever built.”

He also adds that the installation would also protect Canada, saying “Canada gets a lot of freebies from us,” saying it’s prime minister Mark Carney should be “grateful”.

There is also a random shout out to Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu telling him not to claim credit for the Golden Dome technology, as it’s American.

Trump has blamed the “rigged” 2020 election for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, saying the war wouldn’t have started otherwise.

“When you think about it, nobody can dispute it, we give so much and we get so little in return from [NATO]. I’ve been a critic of NATO for many years, and yet I’ve done more to help NATO than any other president by far,” said Trump.

Trump boasted about US defence capabilities, claiming that America possesses “the best equipment” and advanced “stage 6” aircraft that remain undetected. The assertion was aimed at reinforcing his message that US military superiority is the backbone of international stability.

While sharply critical of NATO’s cost-sharing arrangements, Trump stopped short of rejecting the alliance. Instead, he argued that American strength ultimately benefits its partners. “Stronger America means stronger NATO,” he said, framing US power as the foundation upon which the alliance rests.

Trump seems to suggest that the European allies of the US should pay him back for Washington’s foreign policy work by giving up Greenland.

He said that probably won’t happen “unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable”.

“But I won’t do that. … People thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.

The US president has again touted his work “ending wars” around the world during his year-old term, saying that it came at great cost to the US.

“What did the US get out of all of this work, all this money, other than death, destruction and massive amounts of cash going to people who don’t appreciate what we do?” he said. “I’m talking about NATO, I’m talking about Europe.”

He said that the Russia-Ukraine war should be Europe’s responsibility because the US is far away, and repeated his desire for NATO countries to increase their contributions to its budget.

Trump says the island can play “a vital role in world peace and world protection”.

He insists it is “a very small ask”, compared to what the US has given Nato for many decades.

And he questions the commitment of fellow Nato members to the alliance, saying:

We’re there for Nato 100%, I’m not sure if they’d be there for us.

Trump issued a sharp rebuttal to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, saying Canada’s security and survival have long depended on the United States.

“Canada lives because of the US,” Donald Trump said, responding to Mark Carney’s remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where the Canadian leader warned that the US-led rules-based international order was enduring a “rupture.”

He says he’s dealing with Vladimir Putin, “he wants to make a deal”.

He thinks Volodymyr Zelenskyy – who he will meet later today here in Davos – also wants to make a deal.

He says, “They’ve got to get that war stopped.”

Trump has brought up the US military’s presence in Greenland during the second world war, seeming to suggest that the US’s past defensive role there justifies his attempt to take control of it today.

“We saved Greenland and successfully prevented our enemies from gaining a foothold in our hemisphere,” Trump said. “After the war, we gave Greenland back to Denmark. How stupid were we to do that? But we did.”

“But how ungrateful are they now,” Trump said.

Trump turned to NATO, who he said has been investing more in defences.

He added, “We won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive force, we’d be unstoppable, but we won’t do that.”

All the US is asking for “a place called Greenland”.

According to Donald Trump, US forces established military bases on the island and prevented hostile powers from gaining access.

“They didn’t have a chance of getting on it and they tried. Denmark knows that,” he said, adding, “We literally set up bases on Greenland for Denmark. We fought for Denmark. We weren’t fighting for anyone else.”

Donald Trump described Greenland in characteristically vivid terms, calling it a “big, beautiful piece of ice,” and adding, “It’s hard to call it land. It’s a big piece of ice.”

Trump said that American presidents have sought to buy Greenland for nearly two centuries.

He said there’s “no sign” of Denmark on the island, and that Denmark is spending less money than promised on Greenland.

“It’s the US alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice, develop it and improve it,” he said.

“Greenland is a vast, almost entirely uninhabited and undeveloped territory, sitting undefended in a key strategic location between the US, Russia and China”.

He says its importance has only grown with the increased prominence of rare earth metals.

“That’s not the reason we need it, we need it for strategic national security and international security”, he said.

Trump said the US would be “splitting up” 50mn barrels of oil with Venezuela and bringing major oil companies into the country. As a result, he said, Venezuela would “be making more money than they’ve made in a long time.”

“Venezuela is going to do fantastically well,” said Trump. We appreciate all the cooperation we’ve been giving. … Once the attack ended, they said, ‘let’s make a deal’. More people should do that.”

“The leadership of the country has been very good… very, very smart.”

Trump talked about oil costs under his predecessor, Joe Biden, criticising what he claimed were inflated prices due to green policies.

Under his presidency, oil and gas production are up, he said.

He talked about 50 million barrels of oil he claimed were seized from Venezuela and brought to the US.

He said “Once the attack ended, they said, ‘let’s make a deal’. More people should do that”.

Trump claimed that certain places in Europe are “not recognisable, frankly”.

He said friends come back from different places, and said ‘I don’t recognise’ it, in a negative way.

Trump insisted he wants Europe to go well, but claimed Europe is not moving in the right direction.

Trump says “Europe is not heading in the right direction”.

Trump says he “doesn’t recognise Europe”, adding: “I love Europe, I want to see it do good but it’s not going in the right direction”

Trump kicks off his speech, and quickly promises US “growth like no country has ever seen before”.

“People are doing very well, they’re very happy with me,” he tells the audience.

The head of US bank JPMorgan, Jamie Dimon, said on Wednesday that both NATO and Europe needed to be stronger, noting that it was in the United States’ best interests.

“I think we need a stronger NATO. I think it’s right for us to complain that NATO didn’t do enough,” Dimon said at Davos, in response to a question about whether he considered the current moment dangerous in global geopolitics.

“And I think we need a stronger Europe. I think that’s good for America. It’s good for Europe,” he added.

Donald Trump made a delayed landing in Switzerland for his speech to the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, after a minor electrical issue aboard Air Force One forced a return to Washington to switch aircraft.

The White House said arriving late wouldn’t push back his scheduled address at the forum in the Swiss Alps — where his ambitions to wrest control of Greenland from NATO ally Denmark could tear relations with European allies and overshadow his original plan to use his appearance at the gathering of global elites to address affordability issues back home, AP reported.

Trump’s speech is set to focus on domestic policy. But it may touch on Greenland as well as the U.S. military operation that led to the recent ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Donald Trump is likely to ramp up his push to acquire Greenland when he descends on Davos on Wednesday, facing down European opposition to his plans in the biggest fraying of transatlantic ties in decades.

Trump, who marked the end of a turbulent first year in office on Tuesday, is expected to overshadow the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in the Swiss mountain resort, where global elites chew over economic and political trends.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Maharashtra has emerged as India’s gateway for foreign investment and will keep on attracting large investments across regions and sectors.

Speaking at the Maharashtra Pavilion on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Fadnavis noted that the state’s credibility and strong execution record have strengthened global investor confidence.

US futures were higher, and world shares traded mixed on Wednesday ahead of US President Donald Trump’s speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Markets have appeared to steady somewhat after gyrating following Trump’s threats to slap higher tariffs on eight European countries over their opposition to his push for US control of Greenland, AP reported.

Gold prices crossed the USD 4,800 mark for the first time, gaining 2.2 per cent as money flowed into assets considered to be safe havens at times of uncertainty.