Key events
As we wait for Zelenskyy, it’s worth noting a cheeky social media post from Poland’s outspoken foreign minister Rados?aw Sikorski.
He posted a video of his comments from a side event on Ukraine at Davos, in which he argued that “you have to put pressure not on the victim of the aggression, but on the aggressor,” and added this comment:
“The person to the left to whom I was giving side glances was Steve Witkoff.”
It is likely to be seen as a swipe at what central and eastern Europeans see as Witkoff’s troubling willingness to accept Putin’s explanations and his tendency to present both sides of the conflict as if they were equally responsible for the continuation of the war.
In his comments for Bloomberg on Wednesday, Witkoff said:
“They’re in a war and so they’re shooting at each other. And we don’t condone that. We think it’s unfortunate.”
Witkoff is expected in Moscow today, and he told Bloomberg the Russians “have invited us to come, and that’s a significant statement from them.”
“Everybody is embeded in the process and wants to see a peace deal happen,” he claimed.
He also claimed the US negotiators “made more progress in the last six or seven weeks since Geneva than we have made, according to the Ukrainians now, … than in the last three of four years.”
Jakub Krupa
Zelenskyy’s speech looks to be slightly late, as Indonesia’s president Prabowo Subianto is still speaking.
Don’t worry: I’m keeping an eye on this for you.
European parliament to consider its decision to freeze ratification of EU-US trade deal next week
Lisa O’Carroll
in Brussels
The European parliament will next Monday review its decision to suspend the ratification of the US tariff deal in protest against Donald Trump’s threat to acquire Greenland.
MEP Bernd Lange, chair of the international trade committee, who announced the indefinite freeze yesterday after a decision of the main political groupings in parliament said they remain circumspect however.
“Hardly any details are known yet about the proposed Greenland deal. But we need them in order to decide how to proceed with the implementation of the EU-US trade deal. @EP_Trade will revisit the issue on Monday and discuss the way forward.”
Lange said he remains circumspect, warning there was no room for a false sense of security, following Trump’s climbdown on Wednesday night when he emerged from a meeting with Nato chief Mark Rutte scrapping the threat of tariffs on eight European allies and declaring a “forever” deal on Greenland.
“It is good that the planned additional US tariffs are off the table for now. Instead of falling into a state of shock, we in the EU and the EP have recently taken a clear stance. This has certainly contributed to the concession,” he said in a social media post on Bluesky.
“However there is no room for false security. The next threat is sure to come. That’s why it is even more important that we set clear boundaries use all available legal instruments&apply them as appropriate to the situation. We must continue to act with this level of confidence.”
Jakub Krupa
Trump’s comments will matter as any indication of new escalation – on either side – could further affect the already significantly damaged trust between the US and the EU in their trade talks as both sides try to figure out a way forward in this volatile and very sensitive environment.
For example, in the context of the EU-US trade deal that is very much up in the air at the moment…
Trump also said that the Greenland deal “is really being negotiated now,” repeating that it gives the US “total access” – but not much more in terms of details.
Trump warns Europe against dumping US treasury bonds
Earlier today, Trump also told Fox Business Network that he would go ahead with “big retaliation” against European countries if they dumped their holdings of US treasury bonds to pressure Washington to drop its territorial ambitions on Greenland.
“If that would happen, there would be a big retaliation on our part, and we have all the cards,” he said.
‘War has to end,’ Trump says after Zelenskyy talks
We are getting the first few lines emerging from Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy in Davos.
Speaking to reporters, he said the meeting was “very good” and noted “it’s an ongoing process,” but he asserted that “the war has to end,” adding that his team will also be meeting with Putin in Moscow later today.
“Everybody wants to have this war ended,” he said.
(Given the continuing daily Russian attacks on Ukraine, I would not be that sure about it.)
Greenland ‘deal’ has been always available to US and questions remain if it will stick – snap analysis
Patrick Wintour
Diplomatic editor
The outline deal struck by the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, and the US president, Donald Trump, late last night in Davos on stepping up the Nato presence in the Arctic, so long as it does not undermine the sovereignty of Greenland or Denmark, has been available to the US for some time, but will require new resources being devoted to the central task of monitoring Russian ship movements in the region.
What remains in greater question is whether the deal will stick given Trump’s erratic behaviour and whether it gives the US president the access to Greenland’s critical minerals that he claims it does. The issue of a multi-billion dollar futuristic ‘Golden Dome’ defence shield partly housed in Greenland also remains unresolved.
That leaves the agreement in a fragile state. Over the past year Trump has launched endless impetuous confrontations with maximalist demands, only to back down, and then relaunch the fight weeks later, so it is quite possible that Trump is only midway through this exhausting process.
Plan for Greenland could involve rewriting 1951 Greenland treaty between US and Denmark – snap analysis
Dan Sabbagh
Defence and security editor
Details remain sketchy on what was discussed between US president Donald Trump and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte over Greenland last night.
However, emerging clues point to a rewriting of the existing 1951 Greenland defence treaty between the US and Denmark and the creation of an Arctic air policing mission involving European allies.
Public statements by Rutte and Nato have been relatively vague, though Nato insisted that Rutte “did not propose any compromise to sovereignty” in his conversation with Trump.
Diplomatic sources briefed to Associated Press that under discussion was a renegotiation of the 1951 treaty which already gives the US extensive military rights in the autonomous Danish territory.
The 1951 treaty allows the US to “construct, install, maintain, and operate” multiple bases rent free – though the US only currently operates one at Pituffik – which could allow missile defence facilities to be built.
A 2004 addendum says the US must consult with Denmark and Greenland before making “significant changes” to its military operations.
Nato also said that “discussions among Nato Allies on the framework the President referenced will focus on ensuring Arctic security through the collective efforts of Allies, especially the seven Arctic Allies”.
Denmark has asked Nato allies to support a new Arctic Sentry air policing mission, mirroring similar efforts on Nato’s eastern flank, to monitor Russian and Chinese activity. The idea already has the support of the UK.
Nato’s Rutte says he didn’t discuss Danish sovereignty with Trump; urges leaders to ramp up defence preparations
Siraj Datoo
As we await more details on the Trump/Zelenskyy chat, everyone wants to know more about Nato chief Mark Rutte’s conversation with Trump yesterday after the US president announced that the “framework of a future deal” was agreed after a meeting between the pair. Details, however, have been scarce.
For his part, the Nato chief has been out on the airwaves to make clear that he didn’t discuss sovereignty with Trump – and he also sent a message to European leaders that suggested they should step up their preparations for future conflicts.
When asked about Danish sovereignty in an interview with Bloomberg TV, he said, “We didn’t discuss at all that issue,” adding that their discussions revolved around protecting Greenland and the wider Arctic region.
Pressed about Mark Carney’s comments about the geopolitical “rupture” in the world, he had this very strong message for European leaders:
“I would say to European colleagues: focus on implementing the agreements in The Hague. Build your defence industries. Get the spending done. Get your men and women in uniform.”
Zelenskyy/Trump meeting in Davos ends
The much-awaited bilateral meeting between US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of Davos has just ended, Zelenskyy’s office told reporters.
We will no doubt hear shortly about what, if anything, comes out of it.
Zelenskyy should be speaking on the main stage in the next half hour, too.
Opening: More questions than answers
Jakub Krupa
As there are more questions than answers about the detail, I have my doubts whether (temporarily?) ending (are we sure about that?) the Greenland crisis counts as the ninth (and a half?) global conflict ended by the US president, Donald Trump, or not.
In the latest line to Fox News just minutes ago, he talked about “total access” to the territory. Remember: just yesterday, he argued that nothing stop of actual and full ownership would be enough. So, what does it all mean?
Despite the overnight developments, the emergency EU summit this evening is still going ahead, and expect the EU leaders ask themselves these very same questions.
I will bring you their comments as they arrive in Brussels and begin their talks on what to do with Donald Trump’s dream of owning Greenland.
But there is absolutely no doubt that there is still another one that continues to be unsolved: the Russian aggression on Ukraine.
Trump has been meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos today, and we should hear from the Ukrainian president himself in the next hour. Let’s see what comes out of it.
Separately, a US delegation of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner is back in Moscow for more talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
For all the bombastic rhetoric from Trump that he will “settle” the war “soon,” there are still many questions about how he actually wants to achieve that as the two sides seem to be far away from an agreement on thorny issues on territory, for example.
I will bring you the latest from Zelenskyy’s speech and updates from talks in Moscow.
It’s Wednesday, 22 January 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good afternoon.
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