Europe Today: Trump dominates Davos amid fears over Greenland and tariffs

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00:00Good morning, it is Wednesday the 21st of January. I'm Maeve McMahan and this is Europe Today,

00:21your daily dose of European news and analysis live here on Euronews.

00:25Coming up today, we prefer respect over bullies, French President Emmanuel Macron has told the

00:32World Economic Forum in Davos. European leaders are increasingly concerned about the risk of a

00:38looming trade war, one that could push key industries to the brink, as well of course as

00:43the future of Greenland. Ahead of his arrival, President Trump briefed the press insisting

00:49he has done more for NATO than any other leader. After a glitch on his plane forced a quick turn

00:54back, the US President is now safely en route to Davos, where many hope he will consider or

01:01reconsider his stance on Greenland and tariffs. For more on all this, I'm joined here in the

01:06studio by Euronews' Alice Tidy, who's been live blogging all week on all that's going on there

01:11in the World Economic Forum in Davos. All eyes, of course, on Donald Trump today. What should

01:15we expect, Alice?

01:16Yes, so he's expected to speak in the early afternoon, but overnight he doubled down once

01:21more on the fact that he wants the US to annex Greenland. He said that things are working

01:29out, he expects things to work out pretty well. And when asked how far he's willing to go,

01:36he replied, you'll find out. So that's fairly ominous. But he will have a lot of meetings

01:42in Davos behind closed doors. He agreed to these meetings. He said he told Rutter he agreed

01:47to these meetings earlier this week with various parties. So we'll see what come out of these

01:51meetings.

01:51Well, of course, everybody wants FaceTime with the US President Donald Trump. We understand as well

01:56that the Commission President Ursula von der Leyen travelled to Strasbourg last night, where MEPs,

02:00of course, are gathering to deliver a speech this morning. But we'll head back to Davos today.

02:05Do the Europeans have a plan here, Alice?

02:07Well, there have been many European leaders in Davos already, and VDL is one of them. She was very

02:13clear that Europe would be unflinching in its response should Trump move ahead with his plan

02:18to slap an additional 10% of tariffs on eight European countries. Then, of course, we had the

02:23French President Emmanuel Macron, who also said that Europe prefers respect to bullies and that

02:29it has very strong tools at its disposal and that it should learn to use them. But those are just two

02:34leaders in the EU, as we know, has 27 leaders. So it remains to be seen whether or not we can find a

02:40united position at 27. And, of course, an emergency talks are taking place right here in Brussels

02:45tomorrow night. We'll also be keeping a very close eye on that. But you did mention Emmanuel Macron,

02:50Alice. Let's actually take a listen to what he had to say in Davos and also Bart de Waver,

02:55the Belgian Prime Minister.

02:57Europe has very strong tools now, and we have to use them when we are not respected and when the

03:03rules of the game are not respected, by the way. The anti-coercion mechanism is a powerful

03:08instruments, and we should not hesitate to deploy it in today's tough environment.

03:13Until now, we tried to appease the new president in the White House. But now so many red lines are

03:21being crossed that you have the choice between your self-respect. Being a happy vassal is one

03:28thing. Being a miserable slave is something else. If you back down now, you're going to lose your

03:35dignity. So tough talk there from a number of European leaders at the World Economic Forum

03:39in Davos. But now we can head to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where MEPs are meeting

03:46this week and where this growing diplomatic crisis between the European Union and also the United

03:51States is being felt. A vote on a resolution on EU-US relations has been postponed in order,

03:57of course, to reflect the latest developments.

04:00Euronews's correspondent, Vincenzo Genovese, is on the grind. Good morning, Vincenzo.

04:07Good morning, Maeve. Good morning for Strasbourg. Yes, indeed, as you said,

04:11Donald Trump's ambition to annex Greenland and his threats to impose tariffs on European countries

04:18are dominating this plenary session of the European Parliament. We are here today with Valeria Ayer.

04:24She is the chair, the president of Renew Europe, one of the political groups of the Parliament.

04:30Good morning. Thank you for being with us. How do you should respond to Trump?

04:35We should be strong and stronger than we have been until now. We should acknowledge that the

04:42appeasement strategy is over and that we should now play hardball because Donald Trump only understands

04:50the balance of power and the language of strength. Play hardball. What does it mean in concrete?

04:56Which tools the European Union have to care to be strong against Trump? We have different tools

05:03that we should use to pass, to go from appeasement to deterrence. I think deterrence is key vis-à-vis Donald Trump.

05:13We have already decided not to vote the Turnberry Agreement. Do you know this EU-US deal that has

05:21been signed last year in Turnberry? We decided not to vote, to postpone it and not to vote it. So

05:28first tool that we've already used. We have different tools from an economical point of view.

05:33We could decide new tariffs. We could decide to sell American debt. Do you know that we have

05:39quite more than one billion, trillion dollars of American debt? And we could also use the

05:47anti-coercion mechanism that has never been used until now. Do you see any unity, any appetite to

05:53trigger these tools? I must tell you that I'm quite worried because I see in some groups,

06:01some appetite to play hardball. But I see also on other groups, also in pro-European groups,

06:08some people who said, just keep calm, keep calm. But we have been keep calm and we have been calm

06:13until the very one day, the very first day with Donald Trump. And we have to acknowledge that it doesn't

06:19work. Yes. Can you imagine other way of retaliate or use leverage against Donald Trump? In this case,

06:29I was writing, for example, the possibility that European countries can boycott the FIFA World Cup.

06:35Is this an idea that you will support? Yes. Why not? We can use all the possible leverage.

06:40This is a very symbolic one with the FIFA World Cup. I think we also have to be clear right now that we

06:48have this economical leverage and that we are ready to use it. Nightmare scenario. Donald Trump

06:55decided to invade Greenland. It's an atmosphere scenario, but it's not that impossible at this

07:01stage. What can the European Union do in this case? We have everything should be on the table,

07:08of course, linked and decided with our Danish and Greenland friends, of course, but we should be ready.

07:15Do you know that Greenland is under article 42.7 from the teachers? So this mutual defense clause,

07:24no ambiguity on that. So we should be ready for a clear military and an economical sanction on that.

07:32But why I am speaking, talking about deterrence to avoid that situation. We have to be strong now

07:38to avoid that situation. Let's see. Thank you very much. Let's see if this could be the way.

07:44Thank you very much. We'll keep you posted here from here from Strasbourg. Maeve.

07:48Thank you so much, Vincenzo Genovese. And to your guest there, Valerie Ayer, the head of Renew Europe,

07:53the liberal group in the European Parliament. But of course, the action is not in Strasbourg this

07:58week. It's really in Davos, where all eyes, of course, are on President Donald Trump's speech

08:02that will be delivered a little bit later. For more on what's going on there, we can bring in now

08:06your news as EU editor, Maria Today. Oh, good morning, Maria. Great to have you with us. What is the

08:10latest? Absolutely. Absolutely. Good morning. And of course, it is a big day because today

08:16the president of the U.S. will address Davos and Maeve. We can also report that the president

08:21of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has left Davos. But we understand she will be back

08:26by lunchtime, hoping to get some face time with the U.S. president. Of course, this amid tensions

08:32over Greenland. But now to debrief, we are joined by Nadia Calvino. Of course, she is the president

08:38of the European Investment Bank. President, thank you very much. The last time we spoke,

08:44you said, I'm very proud to be European. It's been a month, and it seems to me the situation

08:50is not getting easier. It is getting much worse. What are you expecting from the U.S. president

08:54today? Well, what I see in Davos is that this is a place for dialogue, and people are eager

09:00to talk, to find ways, to find agreements, and to find a way forward that can preserve peace

09:06and a constructive outcome. And from this point of view, I am very proud to be European.

09:12I think that from the European point of view, our approach is very clear. We have to be pragmatic

09:18when we can, but also firm when we must. And of course, at 3 p.m., when the president

09:23of the U.S. walks these stairs and he enters the main hall, are you worried, concerned? We

09:28saw a Munich Security Conference. It was brutal for the Europeans. Is that what you're prepping

09:32for? I think that we can be ready for anything. And we have seen the preparatory speeches.

09:39But more importantly than whatever is said here today, I think, is what we do as Europeans.

09:45So I think the summit, the European Council on Thursday, is really critical in a sense,

09:50and historic in a sense, that we need to show the superpower we are.

09:54And to me, that's a very interesting line, because you're saying, let's not focus so

09:58much on the U.S., let's focus on what we get wrong and what we do wrong. What does that

10:02mean?

10:03We are a superpower, and we have to be aware of it. You know, if we had any doubt, it's

10:08clear that why would the president of the United States spend so much time and so much energy

10:14to attack the European Union? Well, because united, we are unbeatable. So, and I think that's

10:20the spirit with which I will participate in the different panels in a very intense agenda

10:24here at Davos.

10:25And can I ask you, you say, we have to be firm. What does that mean? Because there's

10:29been a lot of debate around now using the big trade gun, and that means really going after

10:34the access that U.S. companies have in Europe. Is it the time now to really put the strong

10:39measures, even if there's a retaliation, on the table? This is now the time to trigger

10:43it.

10:44Well, I wouldn't comment on the individual or the specific instruments. There is a broad range

10:49of instruments that the European Union can use to show that we're serious. I think so

10:54far messages have been crystal clear coming from President von der Leyen, the presidents

10:59of the different institutions, and also leaders of the different member states. And united,

11:05we are determined, I think, to establish that there are some boundaries that cannot be crossed.

11:10When you mean there's some boundaries that cannot be crossed, what does that mean? Is that

11:14in terms of democracy?

11:15We're fighting for democracy. We're fighting for our values. We're fighting for peace. We're

11:20fighting for the European Union. We're fighting for global stability. We're also fighting for

11:24a world order based on win-win partnerships and mutual respect. Because partnerships go both

11:31ways. It takes two to tango. And from the European Union perspective, I think that we have a clear

11:37approach to continue to support these principles. This is a good fight. And I have to tell you, from

11:42the European investment bank group, we're all in.

11:45And just very briefly, yesterday the French President said, we're now becoming or turning

11:49into a world of force. It is a world where might obviously meets now or beats reason. Is that

11:54what you were, very briefly, that the world has changed?

11:57The world is changing. I mean, Prime Minister Carney yesterday said very clearly, we're not in

12:01a transition, we're in a rupture. We are in a transition.

12:05And that's Maria Tadeo there. You're in News' EU editor speaking to Nadia Calvino, the head of the

12:10European Investment Bank. But one issue getting far less attention this week at the World Economic

12:16Forum in Davos is Gaza and the ongoing suffering there. Our Jakob Janis has been taking a look at

12:22Donald Trump's plans for the region.

12:27Do you have a gym membership or a loyalty card in your wallet? Well, Donald Trump just launched

12:33the ultimate club. It's called the Board of Peace. The official goal? To end the war in Gaza.

12:41But is it really? The leaked charter suggests it's actually a rival to the UN with Trump as the chairman

12:50and Vladimir Putin on the guest list. And just like an exclusive country club, there is an entry fee.

12:58And if you want a permanent seat, that will be $1 billion in cash. If you don't pay, your membership

13:06expires in three years. France looked at the price tag and the very fact that it undermines the United

13:13Nations and said, no, merci. But Trump did not take the rejection well.

13:20He threatened to impose 200% tariffs on French wines. So do the math. That bottle of champagne you buy for $50

13:31could soon cost you $150.

13:35It is also much easier for autocrats than democracies to join in. A dictator can just wire the money. And here in

13:44the EU, Donald Tusk, the Polish Prime Minister, just reminded the invited president, you can't just buy a seat.

13:52You need Parliament's permission. Finally, in politics, silence is often louder than what you say. And the leaked

14:00charter for the Gaza Peace Board doesn't even mention the word Gaza. So until I find a spare billion to join the club, peace out!

14:09Jakob Janis there. And for more on Davos, do visit our website, eurienews.com. But that brings this edition

14:20of Europe Today to an end. Thank you so much for tuning in. We also have Donald Trump's speech

14:25speech live later on Eurienews. So tune in for that. See you tomorrow. Take care. Goodbye.

14:37Bye.

14:38Bye.

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