By Emel Akan
ZURICH—U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to Switzerland on Jan. 20 to attend the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) in the alpine village of Davos, at a moment of heightened geopolitical tensions between the United States and several European countries over his efforts to acquire Greenland.
This will be Trump’s third visit to Davos as president. He is expected to deliver a speech and hold meetings with foreign and business leaders during the annual WEF meeting, taking place from January 19 to 23.
This year’s gathering, themed “A Spirit of Dialogue,” is expected to draw nearly 3,000 participants from 130 countries, including a record 65 heads of state and government, according to a WEF statement.
Here is what to expect from this year’s annual meeting of the global elite.
Trump’s Agenda
Trump’s appearance at Davos follows his continued opposition to the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and net-zero initiatives championed by the WEF. He has frequently criticized the forum for what he described as extreme climate and environmental policies, referring to its participants as “prophets of doom.”
The 47th president has long viewed the WEF’s globalist agenda as at odds with his “America First” platform.
As in prior years, he is expected to deliver a speech promoting his economic agenda and encouraging business leaders to invest in the United States.
The WEF was founded in 1971 by Klaus Schwab, a German mechanical engineer and economist. In April 2025, Schwab stepped down as the forum’s executive chairman. The World Economic Forum said on April 22, 2025, that it launched an investigation after allegations of misconduct by Schwab were sent to its board.
The board concluded in August 2025 that there was no evidence of material wrongdoing by Schwab.
“Nor is there any evidence of any misconduct by Hilde Schwab, who has supported the Forum for over five decades without any remuneration,” the board said in an Aug. 15, 2025, statement. “Minor irregularities, stemming from blurred lines between personal contributions and Forum operations, reflect deep commitment rather than intent of misconduct.”
The forum is now led by interim co-chairs BlackRock’s Larry Fink and Swiss billionaire André Hoffmann, who is the vice chairman of Roche and a major shareholder in the drug company.
Upon arriving in Davos on Jan. 21, Trump will attend a private meeting with Fink and Hoffman. He will then deliver a special address to the WEF at 2:30 pm local time (8:30 a.m. EST), followed by meetings with foreign leaders and a reception with business executives.
On the second day, Trump is scheduled to participate in the “Board of Peace Charter announcement” at 10:30 am. He will leave Davos after the event.
Geopolitical Tensions
The forum will take place amid increasing tensions with European leaders.
Trump has recently intensified efforts to acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
On Jan. 17, Trump said he would impose 10 percent tariffs on Denmark and seven other European countries—Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland—until a deal is struck to acquire the island.
Trump’s tariff threat came after these NATO allies sent small contingents of military personnel to the island.
The president has accused Denmark of failing to do enough to secure the Arctic island.
“NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that ‘you have to get Russian threat away from Greenland.’ Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it,” he wrote in a Jan. 18 post on Truth Social.
European Council President António Costa said in a Jan. 18 post on X that he would convene an “extraordinary meeting” of all 27 European Union leaders later this week in response to recent tensions.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his interest in the United States taking over Greenland, citing increasing threats from Russia and China in the Arctic.
He has also said he would consider using military force, if needed, to take control of the island.
Both the Trump and Biden administrations have warned about rising risks in the Arctic over the past eight years. The Chinese communist regime in recent years has been ambitiously developing its commercial and military capabilities in the Arctic. Russian and Chinese warships are also operating together more frequently in the Arctic region.
Policy Announcement
As in previous years, Trump is expected to preview some of his policies for the coming year during his remarks in Davos.
Earlier this month, he said in a post on Truth Social that he planned to discuss new housing and affordability proposals.
“For a very long time, buying and owning a home was considered the pinnacle of the American Dream. It was the reward for working hard, and doing the right thing, but now, because of the Record High Inflation caused by Joe Biden and the Democrats in Congress, that American Dream is increasingly out of reach for far too many people, especially younger Americans,” Trump wrote.
“I will discuss this topic, including further Housing and Affordability proposals, and more, at my speech in Davos in two weeks.”
One idea being floated is to allow Americans to withdraw funds from their 401(k) accounts to use for a down payment on a home. In a Jan. 16 interview with Fox News, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the president will present this plan during his Davos speech.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has introduced a range of proposals to lower home prices, including a ban on large institutional investors buying additional residential properties.
Board of Peace
On the second and final day of his visit, Trump is expected to announce the Board of Peace charter, which is part of phase two of a U.S.-backed cease-fire agreement between Israel and terrorist group Hamas to end the war in Gaza.
Trump will chair the board, which includes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, private equity executive Marc Rowan, World Bank Group president Ajay Banga, and U.S. national security adviser Robert Gabriel.
Dozens of countries have been invited to join the board, which will be tasked with overseeing the next phase in Gaza. Morocco, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Hungary, and Argentina are among the countries that have expressed interest in joining. Russian President Vladimir Putin also received an invitation.
Members will be tasked with managing the Gaza Strip’s “governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilization,” according to the White House.
It is unclear whether French President Emmanuel Macron will agree to Trump’s offer to join the board.
“Well, nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon,” Trump told reporters on Jan. 19. “I‘ll put a 200 percent tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join.”
Tom Ozimek and Aldgra Fredly contributed to this report.
