Trump Ramps Up Pressure on European Leaders in Pre-Davos Diplomatic Offensive
As U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, he has launched a series of provocative actions against key European allies, revealing private communications and threatening significant economic measures that could reshape transatlantic relations.
Social Media Barrage and Tariff Threats Target France
In a flurry of early morning social media posts and comments on Tuesday, President Trump took direct aim at French President Emmanuel Macron for declining an invitation to support his latest peace initiative. The American leader suggested imposing devastating tariffs of up to 200 percent on French wine and champagne exports, targeting a politically sensitive sector of the French economy.
"Nobody wants him because he's going to be out of office very soon," Trump told reporters on Monday local time after learning of Macron's refusal. "I'll put a 200 percent tariff on his wines and champagnes and he'll join."
Private Text Messages Revealed in Unprecedented Move
In an unusual diplomatic breach, President Trump publicly shared a text message exchange with his French counterpart in which Macron had invited Trump to dinner in Paris on Thursday. The French leader had also proposed meetings involving Ukraine, Syria, Denmark, and Russia to address various international issues, including Trump's controversial demand to acquire Greenland from Denmark for security reasons.
"I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland," Macron told Trump in the text message, which was subsequently confirmed by a French official familiar with the exchange.
Broadening Disputes Across European Continent
The confrontation with France represents just one element of Trump's expanding diplomatic conflicts with European nations as he approaches the Davos summit. The American president has:
- Criticized the United Kingdom over plans to return sovereignty of Diego Garcia to Mauritius
- Threatened eight European countries with tariffs for opposing his Greenland demands
- Attacked Norway for denying him the Nobel Peace Prize (despite the award not being determined by the Norwegian government)
- Attempted to pressure France into joining his proposed "Board of Peace" alongside authoritarian leaders including Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and Russia's Vladimir Putin
Controversial "Board of Peace" Proposal Faces Resistance
Initially conceived to oversee reconstruction efforts in Gaza, the mandate of Trump's proposed Board of Peace has expanded significantly, according to European officials familiar with the discussions. The American president appears to view the body as a vehicle for resolving multiple international conflicts and shaping global events outside traditional diplomatic channels.
A draft charter for the proposed group obtained by Bloomberg reveals that Trump would serve as its inaugural chairman with authority over membership decisions. The Trump administration is reportedly asking countries seeking permanent positions on the body to contribute at least US$1 billion each.
European Concerns Over Transatlantic Relationship
French officials indicate that Macron has no intention of accepting Trump's invitation to join the Board of Peace. The French president believes the proposed charter extends beyond Gaza reconstruction and could potentially undermine the United Nations, which France considers essential to international diplomacy.
According to sources close to Macron, the French leader views Trump's approach as unacceptable interference in French foreign policy and remains determined not to yield to pressure tactics. China has also reportedly received an invitation to participate in the proposed body.
European leaders increasingly worry that the escalating disputes over Greenland, trade policies, and the peace board proposal signal a broader deterioration in transatlantic relations. There are growing concerns that these tensions could ultimately call into question American commitment to European security and the NATO military alliance that has underpinned Western defense for decades.
The timing of these diplomatic confrontations, just ahead of the World Economic Forum gathering where global leaders typically seek common ground on economic and political challenges, suggests Trump is deliberately stoking tensions to strengthen his negotiating position on multiple fronts simultaneously.
