Board of Peace kicks off: 21 countries join. Musk returns to Davos and jokes: "For peace or conquest?"

The point that eased transatlantic tensions over the Greenland dossier was a preliminary understanding reached between Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the renewal of the 1951 US-Denmark pact for military bases on the island. According to the Financial Times citing informed sources, the two leaders discussed the possibility of reopening the agreement to strengthen the US presence on the island and include Greenland in the 'Golden Dome' missile defence project for North America. The conversations also touched on increasing US investment and measures to limit Chinese and Russian activities on the island, which boasts some of the world's largest untapped mineral reserves. Western officials emphasise that this is a first step in continuing negotiations and easing tensions between Washington and its European allies. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made it clear that Rutte did not negotiate on behalf of Denmark, while the NATO chief kept the European allies updated, even talking to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the days leading up to the meeting. The United States has reduced its military presence in Greenland from its peak during the Cold War, when it had dozens of facilities and over 10,000 soldiers, to a single base and about 150 soldiers today. The comprehensive 1951 defence agreement allows the United States to establish military bases throughout Greenland, as long as this does not encroach on Denmark's sovereignty. Greenlandic and Danish officials have said that they have repeatedly proposed in recent years that the US could increase its military presence.

Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reportedly reached a purely verbal understanding on Greenland during their meeting in Davos, without producing any formal document outlining a future agreement for now. This was reported by CNN citing sources with direct knowledge of the talks, according to which the parties agreed to continue discussions in the coming weeks.

According to the same sources, Trump and Rutte talked about updating the 1951 agreement between the US, Denmark and Greenland that regulates the US military presence on the island. The framework of the understanding would also include a commitment to exclude Russia and China from any investments in Greenland and a strengthened NATO role in the Arctic region.

US President Donald Trump arrived in Zurich after an approximately two-hour drive from Davos, and boarded Air Force One in which he departed for the US.

Elon Musk said he expects Tesla to receive approval for its advanced fully autonomous driving assistance system in Europe by next month.

Elon Musk joked about the formation of the Board of peace for Gaza. "Is it for peace or conquest? A piece of Greenland, plus a piece of Venezuela?" the billionaire said in Davos, playing with the words 'peace' - meaning 'peace' - and 'piece', meaning 'piece'. The richest man in the world returned to the Forum for the first time after criticising it for years.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, in his speech in Davos, argued that the global community has now turned its attention to Greenland, adding that 'it is clear' that most leaders are still not sure what to do. Everyone seems to be 'waiting for America to calm down on this issue, waiting for it to pass'.

The biggest risk of the Greenland crisis, created and defused by Donald Trump, is that the president 'signalled to Nato adversaries that the United States is not fully committed to defending all members of the alliance in the event of an attack'. This is stated by the editorial board of the Washington Post in an article titled Trump's 'reversal. At Davos, he defused a crisis he himself had created'.

Volodymyr Zelensky says the first trilateral meeting between the US, Russia and Ukraine will take place tomorrow and the day after tomorrow in the United Arab Emirates. "I hope the Emirates are aware of it. They are. Sometimes we get surprises from the American side," he said in response to a question in Davos, as reported by Sky News. "The documents aimed at ending this war are almost ready, and this is really important. Ukraine is working with absolute honesty," Zelensky said, adding that "Russia must be ready to end this war".

The meeting with President Trump was 'productive and substantive' and air defence for Ukraine was also discussed. This was said by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his speech at the World Economic Forum.

"We live like in the movie Groundhog Day, every day, every week, every year our life is the same and this forum proves it. A year ago I ended my speech by saying that Europe must know how to defend itself. One year later, nothing has changed'. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his speech at the World Economic Forum.

Europe should do what the US did with Venezuelan oil: seize Russian oil and use the proceeds to finance Ukraine's defence needs. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in Davos. "Why can Trump stop Venezuelan oil tankers and seize their oil and Europe cannot do the same with Russian oil?" By continuing to buy Russian oil,' he added, 'Europe is indirectly financing Russia's war.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned again in a speech at Ukrainian House against diverting attention from Ukraine as Russia intensifies attacks against Ukraine's energy infrastructure over the winter. "We must keep our eyes on Ukraine," Rutte said. "We must not drop the ball. This means that yes, the peace talks are important and positive and we will do everything we can to bring them to a successful conclusion. But it will not happen tomorrow. In the meantime, the Ukrainians need interceptors and military support now. That is why, my European and Canadian friends, we must remain focused,' he pointed out.

Donald Trump has left the Davos Forum venue to return to Washington, after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - to which the press was not admitted - that lasted about an hour. The US president is on his way to Zurich airport for his flight back to the US.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer today described as 'a good thing' the surprise breakthrough yesterday in Davos by US President Donald Trump over the Greenland dispute and the lifting of new tariffs against the UK and other European allies. Starmer spoke about this both on the sidelines of a visit to the county of Hertfordshire and receiving Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at her country residence in Chequers, outside London, in the last few minutes. The Labour Prime Minister - who is now in talks with Frederiksen as part of a working lunch - did not, however, show that he had been made aware in advance of the 'final' Greenland deal announced by Trump on the sidelines of a twosome in Switzerland with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte. While he emphasised that the 'obstacle race to find a common path on security in the Arctic' between the US and allies must now 'begin'.

The US Administration is negotiating an agreement to grant the US 'total access' to Greenland. This was stated by President Donald Trump in an interview with Fox Business from Davos. "Everything goes through Greenland. If the bad guys start shooting, it goes through Greenland," Trump said. "It's really valuable. It's incredible. Ronald Reagan had the idea a long time ago, but we didn't have any technology at the time. The concept was great, but there was no technology. Now we have incredible technology,' Trump said. Asked by journalist Maria Bartiromo whether the president intends to acquire Greenland and pay for it, Trump replied: 'We're talking about it, the details are being negotiated, but basically it's total access. There is no end, there is no time limit'.

The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos has ended. This was reported by the Ukrainian presidency office, according to the Financial Times and Ukrainian Telegram channels.

"The pact with Trump calls on allies to act quickly on Arctic security". This was emphasised by Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte in an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the Davos Forum. "We will do this together with Nato with our senior commanders to define what is necessary. I have no doubt that we will be able to do this fairly quickly. Certainly I hope it will be by 2026, I hope even early 2026," Rutte emphasised, excluding that the use of Greenland's minerals was the subject of discussion with Donald Trump in Switzerland.

The Rafah crossing point between Gaza and Egypt, closed since May 2024, will reopen in both directions next week. This was announced by Ali Shaath, leader of the Palestinian technocratic committee, in a video message at the Board of Peace signing in Davos. Shaath states that 'this is a real step forward and marks a new direction'. But he adds that there is still much work to be done and that nothing is easy.

Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, in his speech in Davos at the signing of the Board of Peace - according to international media - unveiled the 'master plan' for the future of Gaza by showing a map showing the inhabited areas and infrastructure in the Strip. The plan, Kushner says, will be implemented in phases, including 'housing for workers, 100 per cent employment and opportunities for all' including coastal tourism. "There is a master plan. They will build it in three years,' Kushner said, showing slides of the 'New Gaza' with futuristic skyscrapers on the Strip's waterfront.

"I want to thank each and every one of the leaders here today and all the countries that have pledged to join, and many more who will join. Others are either not in town today or have to follow an internal procedure in their country because of constitutional limitations, but others will join. Many want to be part of this effort because it will be a successful effort'. This was said by Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the signing ceremony of the Board of Peace's charter.

US President Donald Trump signed the Statute of the Board of Peace and invited the 20 representatives of the countries that have joined the Council to the stage.

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Gaza, Trump appoints peace committee: Blair is on it. Baby girl freezes to death in the Strip

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"We have cancelled and annihilated Iran's nuclear capability. Now Tehran wants dialogue and we will talk to them." This was stated by US President Donald Trump speaking from Davos.

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17 January 2026

The Board of peace will "cooperate with many" bodies "including the United Nations". This was said by US President Donald Trump at the ceremony in Davos for the inauguration of the Board of peace under the Gaza Strip plan.

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16 January 2026

Donald Trump, speaking at the Board of peace signing ceremony in Davos says it is a very exciting day and that 'everyone wants to be part of it' . The tycoon says the Board of peace will work with 'many others, including the United Nations'.

US President Donald Trump, on the day of the presentation of the Board of Peace for Gaza in Davos, underlined the US administration's work for world peace, saying that "after ending eight wars", we are now "close to ending another war", a "very difficult war", alluding to Ukraine in all likelihood.

The signing ceremony of the Board of Peace is expected to begin in a few minutes with the presence of US President Donald Trump. Some 20 countries are members, among which the main European partners are not included. The list includes Azerbaijan, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Egypt, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, Albania, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Qatar and Indonesia.

The negotiations with the United States on Greenland are aimed at 'ensuring that Russia and China do not gain economic or military access to the Arctic territory'. This was explained by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. A 'workflow' deidicated to this emerged from the conversation between Rutte and Donald Trump in Davos.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump at the Davos Economic Forum at around 1pm, presidential spokesman Serhiy Nikiforov told reporters, as reported by Ukrinform.

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21 January 2026

"I have already spoken with US President Donald Trump in recent days and with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte. Trump is on the right path." This was said by German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, in reference to US President Donald Trump's backtracking on the tariffs threat linked to the Greenland issue. "Any violent threat to European territory is unacceptable. The principle of sovereignty is non-negotiable,' Merz further stated.

"We share the conviction that we, as NATO's European allies, must do more to protect the Arctic as part of NATO." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Merz then mentioned the protection of Greenland, Denmark and the Far North on the Russian border.

Dossier: Greenland, disputed land

US President Donald Trump is expected to host a signing ceremony for his Board of Peace in the morning on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. According to US media reports, so far around 20 countries have accepted Trump's invitation to join the board, but none of the US's key European allies have yet made a formal commitment and some have rejected the idea. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said yesterday that up to 25 countries have accepted the invitation to join the board.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly on his way to Davos, Bloomberg news agency reports. According to the Ukrainian news agency RBC, Zelensky's office confirmed to reporters that Zelensky is already on his way to the Swiss city.

"The NATO secretary general did not propose any compromise on sovereignty during his meeting with the US president in Davos" focused on Greenland. This was emphasised today by the Atlantic Alliance spokesman.

Nato Secretary Mark Rutte said he had discussions with US President Donald Trump on how to ensure the security of the Arctic region. "We had a very good discussion on this," Rutte told the World Economic Forum in Davos. Further talks, the secretary added, "will ensure, particularly with regard to Greenland, that the Chinese and Russians will not have access to the Greenland economy or directly to Greenland by military means".

Il convoglio con a bordo il presidente degli Stati Uniti Donald Trump arriva al 56° incontro annuale del World Economic Forum (WEF) a Davos, in Svizzera, il 21 gennaio 2026. Il vertice del 2026, che si terrà dal 19 al 23 gennaio con il tema "Uno spirito di dialogo", riunisce leader politici mondiali, dirigenti aziendali e scienziati per affrontare le sfide internazionali. EPA/MICHAEL BUHOLZER

Nato Secretary Mark Rutte said that the US is 'truly committed' to supporting Ukraine's independence and sovereignty. He said this while attending a breakfast organised by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and EastOne at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Asked whether the Trump administration is 'truly committed' to supporting Ukraine, its independence and its security, Rutte said: 'Absolutely, and I have never doubted it'.

Denmark wishes to pursue 'a constructive dialogue with its allies' on the security of Greenland and the Arctic, but with respect for its 'territorial integrity'. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said this. "We can negotiate all political aspects: security, investment, economy. But we cannot negotiate our sovereignty. I have been informed that this was not the case,' the PM said in a statement, following US President Donald Trump's announcement of a draft agreement on Greenland with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Il primo ministro danese Mette Frederiksen dopo una riunione della commissione per la politica estera a Christiansborg, Copenaghen, Danimarca, martedì 20 gennaio 2026. EPA/THOMAS TRAASDAHL DENMARK OUT

In the negotiating framework on Greenland discussed yesterday by US President Donald Trump and Nato Secretary General Marc Rutte, respect for the principle of Denmark's sovereignty over the island is provided for, according to two sources informed about the proposal. Axios reports. The indiscretion comes from the discussion that took place on the sidelines of the Davos Forum. The Greenland framework reaffirms the existing legal framework, while leaving room for strategic cooperation with Greenland.

US President Donald Trump is considering offering each of Greenland's 57,000 inhabitants one million dollars if the island's population votes to join the United States. This is reported by the British newspaper Daily Mail, according to which Trump's plan is for the island to agree to hold a referendum and for membership of the United States to exceed 60 per cent, and then proceed with the disbursement. 'Although the plan sounds absurd, the price tag is a fraction of the £595 billion ($798.8 billion) the US spends annually on defence,' the Daily Mail remarked.

Jared Kushner, al centro, seduto accanto all'inviato degli Stati Uniti in Medio Oriente Steve Witkoff, ascolta il discorso del presidente Donald Trump durante l'incontro annuale del World Economic Forum a Davos, in Svizzera, mercoledì 21 gennaio 2026. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The US administration has begun work on replacing the communist regime in Cuba by the end of the year, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources familiar with the details. According to the newspaper, Donald Trump's administration is working to identify figures within the Cuban government who could help reach an agreement that would lead to the ousting of the current government led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel. According to sources, the Trump administration believes that the Cuban economy is close to collapse and that the government has never been more fragile after the loss of a central supporter such as Maduro.

US President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "was invited" and "agreed" to join the 'Board of Peace' for Gaza. Cnn reports. "We want everybody. We want all nations. We want all nations where the people are in control, the people have the power. That way we will never have problems. This is the greatest council ever assembled," Trump told reporters in Davos when asked about his reasons for inviting Putin. 'Yes, there are some controversial people, but they are people who get the job done,' he added.

Further reading

Gaza, Trump appoints peace committee: Blair is on it. Baby girl freezes to death in the Strip

17 January 2026

Rome, Jan 21 (Adnkronos/Afp) - Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte told Afp that there is "still a lot of work to be done" to find an agreement on Greenland after his meeting with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Davos summit. "The meeting tonight was very positive. But there is still a lot of work to be done," he said.

The compromise reached on Greenland would provide for Denmark to grant the United States sovereignty over small portions of Greenlandic territory, where the US could build military bases. The New York Times reported this, citing three senior officials with knowledge of the matter. The idea, the officials reported, had been promoted by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Two of the officials, who attended the NATO meeting today at which the plan was discussed, compared it to the British bases in Cyprus, which are considered British territory. The officials quoted by the Times did not know whether the idea was part of the deal announced by Trump. Asked about the agreement and its content, Nato said in a statement that 'negotiations between Denmark, Greenland and the United States will continue with the objective of ensuring that Russia and China never gain an advantageous position, either economic or military, in Greenland'.

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the issue of Greenland sovereignty was not raised during his face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump. Asked by Fox News whether Greenland will remain under Danish sovereignty under the future agreement, he said the topic "has not been discussed with the president". "He is focused on what we need to do to protect this vast Arctic region, where changes are taking place and where the Chinese and Russians are becoming more active," Rutte added.