Swedish PM says NATO won’t be blackmailed over Greenland

DAVOS: US President Donald Trump will appear on Wednesday with other high-profile government and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a day after the elite event produced contentious statements and economic threats arising from tensions between the US and Europe.

Nearly 3,000 high-level participants from 130 countries, plus an untold number of activists and observers, are expected to converge on the annual event scheduled to last through Friday for dialogue, debate and deal-making in the Alpine resort.

Trump’s third visit as president comes as US allies worry about his ambition to take over Greenland, while Latin America grapples with his efforts to seize Venezuela’s oil.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday called Trump’s planned new tariffs on eight of its countries over Greenland a “mistake” and questioned Trump’s trustworthiness. French President Emmanuel Macron said the EU could retaliate by deploying one of its most powerful economic tools, known colloquially as a trade “bazooka.”

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi applauded the Lebanese government’s efforts to stabilise the tiny Mediterranean country, an apparent reference to its efforts to disarm non-state groups, notably Hezbollah. Speaking in a panel on Tuesday in Davos, the Egyptian leader said Lebanon “finds a way to achieve complete stability.”