DAVOS, Switzerland — As snow dusted the quiet Alpine streets ahead of the World Economic Forum, an unusual restlessness settled over Davos, according to Euro News. Diplomats, executives and security officials moved with urgency, aware that this year’s gathering may mark a turning point for the global order. The reason loomed large: the return of U.S. President Donald Trump to the world’s most influential economic summit after a six-year absence.
Trump’s expected midweek appearance comes at a moment of deep uncertainty for Europe and growing unease across global capitals. His confrontational approach to allies, threats of new tariffs, and aggressive foreign policy moves, including a controversial push to assert control over Greenland, have forced long standing partners to reassess their relationship with Washington.
European leaders arrive in Davos facing a triple reckoning: how to respond to a more unilateral United States, how to revive sluggish economic growth, and how to secure the continent in an era of renewed geopolitical instability. Trump’s Greenland gambit, in particular, has rattled NATO allies, prompting a rare joint statement from eight European nations warning that U.S. actions risk triggering a “dangerous downward spiral” in transatlantic relations.
The White House says Trump’s keynote address will focus heavily on domestic priorities, including affordability and housing costs, while highlighting what officials describe as America’s economic resurgence. But European officials are listening for more than economic messaging. They are seeking clarity and reassurance about Washington’s commitment to alliances that have underpinned Western security since World War II.
Beyond Europe, Davos will serve as a diplomatic crossroads for conflicts shaping the global agenda. Trump has made no secret of his desire to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is attending in hopes of securing U.S. security guarantees tied to a potential ceasefire. Although no formal bilateral meetings have been announced, the presence of key Trump envoys has fueled speculation that quiet negotiations may unfold on the summit’s margins.
The Middle East is also firmly on the agenda. Trump is considering convening the inaugural meeting of a proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza during the forum, an initiative billed as a new mechanism for conflict resolution and reconstruction. Several countries, including Hungary, Jordan and Pakistan, have confirmed receiving invitations. Critics, however, warn the initiative could sideline multilateral institutions such as the United Nations in favor of a U.S.-led framework closely tied to Trump himself.
Elsewhere, questions linger over Venezuela following a rapid U.S. military intervention that ousted President Nicolás Maduro, as well as Iran, where last-minute restraint by Washington amid widespread protests has left open the possibility of renewed engagement. Iran’s foreign minister’s presence in Davos suggests discreet diplomacy may be underway.
Trump’s relationship with Davos has long been uneasy. Once met with skepticism and occasional boos, he now returns emboldened, backed by a massive U.S. delegation and a visible American footprint in the town including two prominent “USA Houses” signaling Washington’s intent to reclaim global leadership.
As leaders gather in the Alps, one reality is clear: what happens in Davos this week will not stay in Davos. For Europe and the wider world, the forum may offer an early glimpse of a reshaped international order, one increasingly defined by confrontation, negotiation and an unmistakable American imprint.
