At Davos, U.S. allies question a fraying world order : NPR

DAVOS, Switzerland – It was one of the most volatile weeks for transatlantic relations in recent history, marked by a series of disturbing statements from President Trump that roiled global markets and strained relations with some of the United States’ closest allies, on issues ranging from Greenland to Gaza.

The diplomatic whiplash was on full display in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, where the annual World Economic Forum took place against a backdrop of growing uncertainty about the United States’ role as a global leader among Western democracies. By the time President Trump’s delayed helicopter landed in the snow of the Alps, much of the damage (at least diplomatically) had already been done.

In the weeks leading up to the meeting, occasional off-the-cuff comments by Trump and White House staff about a possible U.S. military takeover of Greenland had culminated in new tariff threats against eight European nations.

The unprecedented presidential rhetoric had left allies scrambling to interpret American intentions, while global financial markets responded nervously and diplomats questioned how durable America’s long-standing commitments had become.

A sincere speech from Canada

That discontent was later expressed openly by several leaders in Davos. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney argued that the post-World War II economic and security architecture was crumbling in such a way that it left mid-sized countries, like Canada, once again exposed.

“Let me be direct: We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” Carney told delegates in the forum’s large conference room. “Great powers have begun to weaponize economic integration: tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coordination, supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited.”

Carney warned that the rules-based international order that had helped manage great power rivalry for decades was “fading” and that countries like his could no longer assume that the United States would reliably act as a stabilizing force in the system.

French President Emmanuel Macron struck a similar note, framing the moment as one of political uncertainty and historic security. “We are entering a time of instability, of imbalances, both from a security and defense point of view and from an economic point of view,” he told the Davos audience of policymakers and global business executives.

Macron linked those imbalances to a broader democratic retreat and a resurgence of geopolitical confrontation, what he called “a shift toward a world without rules, where international law is trampled and where the only law that seems to matter is that of the strongest.” It was a characterization that, two years ago, Macron would have aimed at leaders like Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, but for many in the audience it seemed, this week, to target President Trump as well.

When the US commander in chief appeared on that same stage a day later, he offered a markedly different interpretation, arguing that raw military and economic power – rather than verbal reassurance – was the key to maintaining security partnerships.

“We want strong allies, not seriously weakened allies. We want Europe to be strong,” Trump said, invoking his own Scottish and German ancestry. “Ultimately, these are matters of national security, and perhaps no current issue sheds more light on the situation than what is currently happening with Greenland.”

In the same speech, Trump appeared to definitively rule out a US invasion of Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO ally. But he still continued to question Danish administration of the strategically important Arctic territory. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte moved quickly to calm tensions at a later meeting, leaving Trump to declare on social media that a deal on Arctic security had been reached, with almost no public details. Trump also said he had backed off new tariffs he planned to impose on products from European countries.

Denmark’s political leaders later said Rutte did not speak on their behalf, only accentuating the kind of diplomatic ambiguity that has affected perceptions of the U.S. administration, particularly in Europe.

Trump later announced on social media that he was revoking an invitation for Canada to join his Peace Board to work on post-war stabilization of Gaza and possibly other conflicts, an initiative Trump touted in Davos.

Zelenskyy calls on Europe to do more

However, the entire episode had already deepened concerns within the NATO alliance about US predictability and confidence. For Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, such concerns underscore a frustration he has repeatedly expressed since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly four years ago.

“Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking actions today, actions that define what kind of future we will have,” Zelenskyy said during his own keynote speech after his arrival in Switzerland on Thursday. “That’s the problem.”

For the Ukrainian leader, it is a question not only of strategy but also of credibility, at a time when US political attention seems increasingly distracted and European governments are occasionally wary of wielding hard power.

The week in Davos began with strong market reactions and diplomatic upheavals, and ended without a clear resolution. What persisted instead was a question increasingly voiced by America’s allies, both publicly and privately: whether the disruptions of recent days are temporary turbulence or evidence of a more permanent shift in global leadership that they must now prepare to confront largely on their own.