Opening Day Of World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026

The WEF Made One Thing Very Clear: If Democrats Win We Are Totally Screwed

Canada

Europe

European Union

Globalization

Leftists

Mark Carney

Matt Walsh

NATO

Opinion

Switzerland

World Economic Forum

The following is an edited transcript excerpt from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1896-president-trump-goes-scorched-earth-in-davos?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show</a>.
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The United States is the big dog and President Trump doesn’t want anyone to forget it. Not the Europeans and not the Canadians, the &#8220;snow Mexicans&#8221; who live in America’s evil top hat up north.
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I love this moment. Trump does sound a little tired. You can hear it. And honestly, that makes sense. The guy basically pulled an all-nighter, flew straight over to Davos, Switzerland, bouncing from country to country in a nonstop whirlwind. And even then, he still seemed more energetic than most of the other zombies wandering around Davos.
I love the slight lethargy in his voice because it makes him sound like Don Corleone:
You should be grateful. We never ask anything of you. You come here on the day my daughter is to be married, and you don’t even have the courtesy to call me godfather. You’ll remember I’ve been very good to you. I cannot grant your request. You tell me not to take Greenland? That I cannot do.
I love this not just because I’m a descendant of the Mezzogiorno in America, but because it’s reality. This is how the world actually works. Not the fake world of the World Economic Forum, not the fantasy land of the United Nations, not the imaginary liberal international system built on polite lies and hollow pretenses.
One of the biggest lies is that every country is basically equal. That we’re all the same.
That has never been true. The world has never operated that way. It’s a fiction. A noble lie, but still a lie.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1896-president-trump-goes-scorched-earth-in-davos?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show</a></h3>
Trump is reminding people of the truth. And while people like me might describe him as talking like a mafioso, like Don Corleone, even that’s not quite right. He’s speaking like an emperor. More precisely, he’s speaking like the leader of a great power, which we are.
And that’s a good thing because it is reality.
Politics works better when you acknowledge reality, even when that reality is uncomfortable. Even when it offends your ideology, whether you’re on the Left or the Right. Especially when it offends your ideology.
There are disparities in power between nations. Great nations pursue their interests. The Left hates admitting that. But it’s true.
There’s also another reality people don’t like admitting: you can’t have unlimited inequality in a democratic nation and expect stability. The palace is never safe when the cottage is unhappy. That reality offends libertarians and free-market ideologues on the Right, but it’s still reality.
And if you don’t deal with reality, you don’t flourish. You get revolutions. You get revolts. You get collapse.
And reality doesn’t care whether you like it or not.

U.S. President Trump Attends World Economic Forum In Davos

Trump Smacks Down Canada

Donald Trump

Godfather

Michael Knowles

Shortly after a private meeting with President Donald Trump in Davos on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walked out onto the World Economic Forum stage and blasted European leaders for trying to &#8220;change&#8221; Trump instead of focusing on defending themselves from global threats such as Russia and China.
Zelensky <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_SohZrJOKk">said</a> that Europe seems to be stuck in &#8220;Groundhog Day,&#8221; referring to the 1993 film featuring Bill Murray. He argued that European powers have been repeating the same actions &#8220;for weeks, months, and of course, for years,&#8221; adding, &#8220;Every forum like this one proves it.&#8221;
&#8220;Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words, &#8216;Europe needs to know how to defend itself.&#8217; A year has passed, and nothing has changed,&#8221; Zelensky said.
“Instead of taking the lead in defending freedom worldwide, especially when America’s focus shifts elsewhere, Europe looks lost trying to convince the U.S. president to change,” the Ukrainian president continued, adding, &#8220;Europe still feels more like geography, history, a tradition, not a real political force, not a great power.&#8221;
Zelensky highlighted Trump&#8217;s capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and America&#8217;s seizure of sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela and asked why European powers could not do the same with Russian oil tankers.
&#8220;Why can President Trump stop tankers from the shadow fleet and seize oil, but Europe doesn&#8217;t?&#8221; Zelensky asked. &#8220;Russian oil is being transported right along European shores. That oil funds the war against Ukraine. That oil helps destabilize Europe.&#8221;
Zelensky also mentioned Trump&#8217;s push for Greenland and criticized Europe&#8217;s response to the issue. Trump&#8217;s ramped-up effort to acquire Greenland has been a major focus of this year&#8217;s World Economic Forum as European leaders scramble to respond to the president&#8217;s plan. Many NATO countries deployed a small contingent of troops to Greenland to conduct military exercises as Trump discussed annexing the territory.
Zelensky slammed European leaders over the move.
“If you send 30 or 40 soldiers to Greenland, what is that for?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;What message does it send? What’s the message to Putin? To China? And even more importantly, what message does it send to Denmark? You either declare that European bases will protect the region from Russia and China &#8230; or you risk not being taken seriously, because 30 or 40 soldiers will not protect anything.”
The Ukrainian president then called on European countries to build up their fighting forces, and suggested that NATO is too reliant on the United States.
&#8220;Europe needs united armed forces that can truly defend Europe,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Today, Europe relies only on the belief that if danger comes, NATO will act, but no one has really seen the alliance in action.&#8221;
&#8220;Right now, NATO exists thanks to the belief that the United States will act, that it will not stand aside and will help,&#8221; Zelensky continued. &#8220;But what if it doesn&#8217;t?&#8221;

Volodymyr Zelensky

Zelensky Rips Europe For Trying To ‘Change’ Trump Instead Of Defending Itself Against Global Threats

U.S.

Ukraine

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that under the framework of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-framework-of-future-greenland-deal-is-in-place-after-very-productive-meeting?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+%E2%80%98Framework%E2%80%99+Of+Future+Greenland+Deal+Is+In+Place+After+%E2%80%98Very+Productive+Meeting%E2%80%99">plan</a> currently being negotiated between his administration and NATO, the United States would be given &#8220;total access&#8221; to Greenland &#8220;at no cost.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://x.com/FoxBusiness/status/2014317783996072169">told</a> Fox Business that under the proposal, the United States is &#8220;getting everything we want at no cost.&#8221; The president said that Greenland is vital for U.S. national security and will be used for &#8220;a piece&#8221; of his &#8220;Golden Dome&#8221; missile defense system.
&#8220;Everything comes over Greenland. If the bad guys start shooting, it comes over Greenland,&#8221; he said, adding, &#8220;It&#8217;s pretty invaluable.&#8221;
&#8220;So what are we talking about, an acquisition of Greenland? Are you going to pay for it?&#8221; asked Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo.
&#8220;It&#8217;s really being negotiated now, the details of it,&#8221; Trump replied. &#8220;But, essentially, it&#8217;s total access. There&#8217;s no end. There&#8217;s no time limit.&#8221;
Trump spoke to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Davos on Wednesday and announced shortly after the meeting that they worked out a &#8220;framework&#8221; for a deal on Greenland. Rutte confirmed that the United States and NATO have made significant progress toward securing an agreement covering the large territory that Denmark oversees. Rutte <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nato-chief-trump-greenland-framework-demands-expanded-european-arctic-role?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=NATO+Chief%3A+Trump+Greenland+Framework+Demands+Expanded+European+Arctic+Role">said</a> on Thursday that, as part of the deal, NATO allies will have to increase their military presence in the Arctic region.
It remains unclear if Greenland and Denmark support the deal currently under negotiation. Danish leaders have strongly opposed Trump&#8217;s push to acquire the territory, while Greenlandic leaders have said they don&#8217;t want to become part of the United States.
Trump has been pushing for the United States to acquire Greenland since returning to the White House last January, and he has increased pressure on Greenland, Denmark, and other European nations over the issue in recent weeks. The president believes that Greenland is essential for U.S. national security, arguing that China and Russia will take over the territory if the United States doesn&#8217;t.
Trump told Bartiromo on Thursday that it&#8217;s still possible that the United States will end up controlling Greenland. During his speech at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, Trump said he would not use military force to annex the territory.
While Trump says national security is the main reason for his desire to acquire Greenland, rare-earth minerals also play a role in his push. Rare-earth minerals were also part of the framework agreement with NATO, the president said. Trump&#8217;s U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, who began in the administration as the president&#8217;s national security adviser, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/greenland-important-us-says-trumps-pick-national-security-adviser-2025-01-09/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last January that the United States needed Greenland for its &#8220;critical minerals&#8221; as well as national security.
Greenland holds large deposits of rare earth minerals that could play a key role in America&#8217;s push to ramp up rare earth mining and end its dependence on China. But Greenland&#8217;s underdeveloped tundra would be challenging to mine for minerals, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5697708-greenland-trump-minerals-rare-earths-denmark-nato/">reported</a>.
“Everyone talks about the minerals. There’s so many,” Trump said on Wednesday. “There’s no such thing as rare earth. There’s rare processing. But there’s so much rare earth. And to get to this rare earth, you got to go through hundreds of feet of ice. That’s not the reason we need it. We need it for strategic national security and international security.”

Trump Says U.S. Would Gain ‘Total Access’ To Greenland ‘At No Cost’ Under Proposed Plan

Greenland

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Thursday that European nations will have to increase their military presence in the Arctic region as part of a Greenland deal being negotiated by President Donald Trump.
Rutte told Reuters at the World Economic Forum that, following his Wednesday meeting with Trump, NATO must work through a plan to increase security around Greenland.
&#8220;I have no doubt we can do this quite fast. Certainly I would hope for 2026, I hope even early in 2026,&#8221; Rutte said.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-framework-of-future-greenland-deal-is-in-place-after-very-productive-meeting?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+%E2%80%98Framework%E2%80%99+Of+Future+Greenland+Deal+Is+In+Place+After+%E2%80%98Very+Productive+Meeting%E2%80%99">said</a> on Wednesday that NATO and the United States “formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland” after a “very productive meeting” with Rutte. The president added that he would suspend the additional tariffs he planned to impose on European countries that opposed his push to acquire Greenland.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a long-term deal. It&#8217;s the ultimate long-term deal,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/kaitlancollins/status/2014072620799422963">told</a> reporters. &#8220;And I think it puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security and minerals and everything else.&#8221; He added that there would be &#8220;no time limit&#8221; on the deal, saying, &#8220;It&#8217;s forever.&#8221;
Greenland&#8217;s rare earth minerals were also part of the framework agreement, the president said. Trump said on Wednesday, however, that rare earth minerals aren&#8217;t the main reason he wants the territory.
&#8220;Everyone talks about the minerals. There’s so many,” Trump <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/22/business/greenland-rare-earth-minerals-trump">said</a> in Davos. “There’s no such thing as rare earth. There’s rare processing. But there’s so much rare earth. And to get to this rare earth, you got to go through hundreds of feet of ice. That’s not the reason we need it. We need it for strategic national security and international security.”
Trump has argued that the United States needs to take control of Greenland before China or Russia invades the territory. During his speech in Davos on Wednesday, Trump said he would not use military force to acquire Greenland, but added that he wanted negotiations to begin immediately.
Asked if NATO allies could trust Trump, Rutte replied, &#8220;You can always take Donald Trump at his word.&#8221;
The framework deal agreed upon by Trump and Rutte is not a finalized agreement and will only kickstart serious negotiations on Greenland, according to Trump. The president did not say whether Greenland or Denmark, which oversees the semi-autonomous territory, agreed to the framework deal.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the talks moved forward on Wednesday.
&#8220;It is still a difficult and serious situation, but progress has also been made in the sense that we have now got things where they need to be. Namely that we can discuss how we promote common security in the Arctic region,&#8221; Frederiksen said.
Trump suggested that his plan for the &#8220;Golden Dome&#8221; missile defense system was also a significant point of the discussions with NATO on Greenland.
&#8220;Further information will be made available as discussions progress,” Trump added. “Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and various others, as needed, will be responsible for the negotiations — They will report directly to me.&#8221;

TOPSHOT-SWITZERLAND-US-POLITICS-ECONOMY-DIPLOMACY

NATO Chief: Trump Greenland Framework Demands Expanded European Arctic Role

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he has &#8220;formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland&#8221; after a &#8220;very productive meeting&#8221; with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trump met with Rutte in Davos shortly after speaking at the World Economic Forum and doubling down on his push to acquire Greenland. The president said that in light of the &#8220;framework&#8221; for the deal, he will suspend the additional tariffs he had planned to impose on February 1 on European countries that oppose his push for Greenland.
&#8220;Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115934734335579278">said</a>. &#8220;This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations. Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st.&#8221;
The initial framework will kick-start serious negotiations on the United States acquiring Greenland, according to Trump, who added that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff will run point on the talks.
&#8220;Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland. Further information will be made available as discussions progress,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and various others, as needed, will be responsible for the negotiations — They will report directly to me. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
During his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-takes-firm-stance-on-greenland-at-davos-rules-out-force?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Takes+Firm+Stance+On+Greenland+At+Davos%2C+Rules+Out+Force">speech</a> in Davos, Trump said he would not use military force to take over Greenland, but added that he wants to begin negotiations immediately. Trump has repeatedly said that Greenland, which is overseen by Denmark, is vital for U.S. national security, arguing that the United States must make a move on the territory before it&#8217;s taken over by China or Russia.
“It’s the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice, develop it and improve it and make it so that it’s good for Europe and safe for Europe and good for us,” he said. “And that’s the reason I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States.”
Greenland and Denmark, along with America&#8217;s European allies, oppose the United States taking over control of the Arctic territory.
Trump&#8217;s pause on the additional tariffs comes as the European Union <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-suspends-trade-deal-with-u-s-over-trumps-greenland-push?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=European+Union+Suspends+Trade+Deal+With+U.S.+Over+Trump%E2%80%99s+Greenland+Push">voted</a> on Wednesday to suspend a trade deal with the United States over Trump&#8217;s push for Greenland.

Trump Says ‘Framework’ Of Future Greenland Deal Is In Place After ‘Very Productive Meeting’

President Donald Trump said early Tuesday morning that he plans to meet with &#8220;various parties&#8221; to discuss the future of Greenland while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, later this week.
Trump said he spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte over the phone and stressed the importance of the United States acquiring Greenland. The president has not yet met in person with leaders from Greenland, Denmark, or other European allies to discuss his push to take over the Arctic territory.
&#8220;I had a very good telephone call with Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, concerning Greenland. I agreed to a meeting of the various parties in Davos, Switzerland. As I expressed to everyone, very plainly, Greenland is imperative for National and World Security,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115925766187001811">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
&#8220;There can be no going back — On that, everyone agrees!&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;The United States of America is the most powerful Country anywhere on the Globe, by far. Much of the reason for this is a rebuilding of our Military during my First Term, which rebuilding continues at even more expedited pace. We are the only POWER that can ensure PEACE throughout the World — And it is done, quite simply, through STRENGTH!&#8221;
Trump also <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115926107400617491">shared</a> a screenshot of a text message he received from Rutte, in which the NATO secretary general praised Trump for his work in securing a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/19/syria-declares-victory-ceasefire-kurdish-led-force">ceasefire</a> in Syria and promised to find &#8220;a way forward on Greenland.&#8221;
&#8220;Mr. President, dear Donald — what you accomplished in Syria today is incredible. I will use my media engagements in Davos to highlight your work there, in Gaza, and in Ukraine,&#8221; Rutte added in the message. &#8220;I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland. Can&#8217;t wait to see you. Yours, Mark.&#8221;
Rutte&#8217;s friendly message to Trump comes as America&#8217;s European allies try to figure out how to respond to Trump&#8217;s push to control Greenland, a plan Europe has strongly denounced. Since Trump has ramped up his effort to acquire Greenland, NATO nations deployed troops to the territory last week for a military exercise.
Over the weekend, Trump announced that he would impose additional tariffs on eight European nations that have opposed his Greenland push. The additional tariffs are set to take effect on February 1 and will apply to imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland.
Trump also shared a screenshot of a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115925848634299232">message</a> from French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday. In the message, Macron tells Trump, &#8220;I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland. Let us try to build great things.&#8221; Macron then suggested holding a meeting in Paris between the Group of 7 countries on Thursday, adding that he could also invite leaders from Ukraine, Denmark, Syria, and Russia.
Trump was upset with Macron on Tuesday after the French president rejected an offer to sit on Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Board of Peace&#8221; overseeing Gaza. Macron argued that Trump&#8217;s board &#8220;goes beyond the framework of Gaza and raises serious questions, in particular with respect to the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot be called into question.”
In response, Trump <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/20/trump-threatens-200percent-tariff-on-french-wines-and-champagnes-.html">said</a> he might impose a 200% tariff on French wines.
“Well, nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon,” Trump said of Macron. “So you know, that’s all right. What I’ll do is, if they feel like [being] hostile, I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join.”

Mark Rutte, Donald Trump

Trump To Meet With NATO Chief On Greenland: ‘There Can Be No Going Back’

Emmanuel Macron

There has been a clamor among some on the American Right for the United States to pull out of NATO, given Europe’s reflexively adversarial response to Trump’s Greenland saber-rattling. Whether we should remain in an alliance formed in a very different world back in 1949 is a question President Trump first raised during his initial term. The question actually has more merit than one might think at first blush.
One must ask what exactly NATO’s raison d’être was to begin with. It is difficult, eighty years on, to recall just how much of a mess Europe was at the time. Much of the continent had been razed by the most lethal of its many internecine conflicts. Europe was no longer at war, but it was not exactly at peace either. Stalin — a dictator with as much, if not more, innocent blood on his hands than Hitler — had advanced his Red Army all the way through Poland, then-Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and half of Germany. That Soviet presence was massive: nearly ten million infantry backed by tens of thousands of tanks and aircraft. By 1945, the Red Army had become a military colossus that had just annihilated the most professional army in the world.
Given this looming threat just over the horizon, by 1949 Western Europe needed to band together to offer a deterrent to Stalin’s hegemony. And given the circumstances, the only military body capable of giving this new North Atlantic Treaty Organization its muscle was, of course, the U.S. Armed Forces. While Western Europe was rebuilt under the auspices of the Marshall Plan, American troops, armor, and aircraft kept the Soviets at bay. This mission was performed successfully all the way to 1991, when the Soviet Union — the very threat NATO was created to contain — abruptly collapsed.
That was 35 years ago. And yet NATO did not ride off into the sunset with its mission accomplished. Instead, it continued to expand, adding 16 new nations — each creeping closer and closer to an increasingly alarmed Russia (a country that suffered roughly 25 million dead repelling the last Western invaders from its soil).
But why the steady eastward expansion? Some NATO supporters argue that Putin’s resurgence and his aggression in Ukraine are answer enough.
But Ukraine and Russia share a convoluted history. Ukraine has long been contested land, where its story and Russia’s overlap in a region that has seen over seven hundred conflicts since the fall of Rome. This is not the first time war has raged from Crimea to the Donbas. Nor will it be the last. There is no reason for a non-Ukrainian to die fighting for that territory.
In fact, the only credible reason to continue our involvement in NATO is if Putin’s Russia poses the same danger as Stalin’s USSR once did. But today’s Russian military is not the Red Army of 1945 in which anywhere from 30 to 35% of its personnel were non-Russians (including 20% Ukrainians). And today Russia is demographically dying. Between 1990 and now—owing to the breakup of the Soviet Union, low birth rates, emigration, and early mortality often linked to alcoholism—Russia’s population has shrunk by roughly three to five million; that is a around a 2 to 4% decline. Over that same period, the U.S. population grew by more than 95 million, or roughly 38%. Even without the United States, the EU today has roughly four times Russia’s population. History shows that in modern war, population is often the best predictor of who prevails in a protracted struggle.
Russia’s economy is both small and oil-dependent. It has been called the world’s largest gas station for a reason. Anywhere from 20 to 30% of its economy depends on crude oil sales, depending on the year and market conditions — making it extremely vulnerable to sanctions or blockades. As it stands, Russia’s entire economy is smaller than that of three American states.
Speaking of economies, since NATO’s establishment, the GDP of EU nations has grown from barely $2.5 trillion to as high as $23 trillion today, an increase of more than 800%. This prompts the obvious question: if these nations have grown so rich, why do they still need us as if they were clearing rubble out of Cologne?
In other words, whether one agrees with leaving NATO or not, Trump’s re-evaluation of an alliance nearing the end of its eighth decade is not grounded in anti-EU whimsy, but in a classic cost-benefit analysis of its service to American interests.
Polls show that while only about 15% of Americans favor leaving NATO, as many as 30% of European residents believe the United States should reduce or end its role in Europe’s defense. This is ironic. If the same Europeans who love to hold up their model social-welfare systems — especially their “free” health care — understood how much of those systems are underwritten by the American taxpayer, they might take a less belligerent view toward one of their primary health care providers.
<div id="attachment_1030021" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1030021" class="size-large wp-image-1030021" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2246537136-864x576.jpg" alt="GEILENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 13: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and North Rhine-Westphalia Premier Hendrik Wuest, dressed with flight jackets, stand in front of an E-3A AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) airplane while visiting the NATO Geilenkirchen Air Base on November 13, 2025 in Geilenkirchen, Germany. The base is the headquarters of the NATO Airborne Early Warning &amp; Control Force (NAEW&amp;CF). (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2246537136-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2246537136-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2246537136-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2246537136.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Andreas Rentz/Getty Images</div>
What do I mean by this?
Take a look at the wealthiest EU nation — and the one with the most violent history with Russia — Germany. Germany currently spends roughly 2% of its €5 trillion GDP on defense, or about €100 billion annually. At the same time, it spends roughly ten to 12% of GDP on health care — around €500 billion per year. Estimates suggest that if American soldiers and airmen withdrew and Germany were left to fend for itself, Berlin would need to raise defense spending to as much as 4% of GDP. That means an additional €90–100 billion every year. That money has to come from somewhere. And since health care is the largest pool of discretionary spending (unless Berlin plans on raiding pensions), that is where it would most likely be found. A full American withdrawal would require cutting Germany’s health care system by at least 20%.
The consequences would be catastrophic. Growth spending would slow, wait times would balloon into rationing, co-pays and supplemental costs would rise, hospital consolidations would reduce access to emergency and specialized care, benefits would shrink, staffing shortages would worsen, and zero-cost access would disappear. Setting aside health outcomes, the social upheaval in a country accustomed to expansive care at minimal personal cost would be acute — and politically devastating for any party responsible.
And Germany is only one nation. If the entire EU had to raise defense spending to 4% to fill the void left by an American departure, it would require roughly €340 billion more per year — again, about 20% of total EU health care spending. Even partial offsets would place ten to 20% pressure on health budgets — unless already sky-high taxes rose further. Suddenly, the EU’s vaunted “free” health care system would be anything but.
Put more bluntly, NATO is not merely a security alliance — it is a massive American taxpayer-funded subsidy for Europe’s welfare state. That is the dirty little secret no one in Brussels wants to discuss. Every time a German walks into a “free” clinic or a Frenchman is wheeled into an operating room, roughly one euro in five is effectively paid by you and me. NATO — at least for its original Western democracies — needs the United States not to defend borders it could fund itself, but to prop up welfare systems already straining under their own weight.
There is a famous story in business lore about accounting wunderkind Harry Sonneborn, who told McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc that the real value of his restaurants was not the thin margins on hamburgers, but the land beneath them. “You’re not in the hamburger business,” he said. “You’re in the real estate business.”
In the same way, American contributions to NATO are not primarily about Europe’s defense. They allow European capital to be freed from defense spending — a burden borne by American taxpayers — and redirected toward social welfare. So when your taxes go to NATO, an alliance originally created to defend Europeans from other Europeans, you are not in the continental defense business. You are in the health care business. Just not for yourself. You are providing it for wealthy Germans, French, Brits, and Scandinavians who understand exactly how fragile their welfare systems are — and how quickly they would collapse if America walked away. After all, it is easy to pay for both guns and butter when someone else largely pays for the guns. It is quite another thing to foot the bill for both.
More the suckers us.
* * *
Brad Schaeffer is a commodities fund manager, author, and columnist whose articles have appeared on the pages of The Wall Street Journal, NY Post, NY Daily News, The Daily Wire, National Review, The Hill, The Federalist, Zerohedge, and other outlets. He is the author of three <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07MQJBJSD?ccs_id=55112527-86f6-4c89-b82e-a96d6869abed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">books</a>. You can also follow him on <a href="https://bradschaeffer.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Substack</a> and <a href="https://x.com/bschaeffer123" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Leaders Gather For ‘Coalition Of The Willing’ Meeting In France

NATO’s Dirty Little Secret

Germany

Health Care

Russia

The Kremlin said on Friday that it is closely monitoring President Donald Trump&#8217;s push to acquire Greenland, calling the proposal by the United States &#8220;extraordinary from the standpoint of international law.&#8221;
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/16/greenland-russia-trump-takeover-threats-annex-denmark.html">said</a> that Trump “has said that international law is not a priority for him,&#8221; adding, &#8220;The situation is developing along a different trajectory, and we, along with the rest of the world, will be watching to see which one,&#8221; CNBC reported. Earlier this week, Russia rejected claims that it has its sights set on Greenland, calling such claims a &#8220;fictitious pretext&#8221; used by NATO to grow its military presence in the Arctic, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-nato-talk-moscow-beijing-being-threat-greenland-is-myth-create-2026-01-15/">Reuters</a>.
Russia is far from a valid judge on the rules of international law. The country is still engaged in a war that it started by invading Ukraine in February 2022. In recent months, Moscow has fired missiles and drones at civilian targets in Kyiv and surrounding cities, with an <a href="https://ukraine.ohchr.org/en/2025-deadliest-year-for-civilians-in-Ukraine-since-2022-UN-human-rights-monitors-find">estimated</a> 2,514 Ukrainian civilians being killed at the hands of Russia in 2025.
Trump has said multiple times that acquiring Greenland is a priority for U.S. national security, arguing that Russia and China have their own plans for taking over the territory. The president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-greenland-is-non-negotiable-for-u-s-security?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%3A+Greenland+Is+Non-Negotiable+For+U.S.+Security">said</a> earlier this week that Greenland is “vital” for his plans to build a “Golden Dome” of defense to protect the United States.
&#8220;NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” Trump said.
In an interview with The New York Times last week, Trump also suggested he prioritizes his &#8220;own morality&#8221; and his &#8220;own mind&#8221; over international law. The president said that the United States would abide by international law, but then added, “It depends [on] what your definition of international law is.”
Many NATO countries — including Denmark, which oversees Greenland&#8217;s defense — have rebuked Trump over his effort to acquire Greenland while ramping up military presence around the territory. Denmark, France, Sweden, and Norway are conducting joint military exercises in Greenland, a move that has seemingly enraged Moscow. Russia accused NATO of &#8220;using high-profile statements from Washington on the Greenland issue solely to promote an anti-Russian and anti-Chinese agenda.&#8221;
&#8220;We consider the alliance&#8217;s policy of escalating confrontation in the Arctic to be counterproductive and extremely dangerous,&#8221; Russia added.
Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry, who&#8217;s also serving as Trump&#8217;s special envoy to Greenland, said that Russia and China have increased production of icebreaker ships in the past year, suggesting that both countries are seeking &#8220;to gain control of the Arctic.&#8221;
&#8220;China and Russia have built more icebreakers in one year than the United States has built in the history of our country. They aren’t just building them for fun,&#8221; Landry <a href="https://x.com/JeffLandry/status/2012200748243665336">told</a> Fox &amp; Friends Friday morning. &#8220;It is vital that America secures Greenland and reinforces the Monroe Doctrine for the future of national security.&#8221;
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House earlier this week to discuss Trump&#8217;s push to acquire Greenland. Following the meeting, Rasmussen said that both sides agreed to disagree, with Denmark sticking firm to its “red lines.”
“For us, ideas that would not respect the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of self-determination of the Greenlandic people are, of course, totally unacceptable,&#8221; Rasmussen added.

Vladimir Putin

Russia Scrutinizes Trump’s Push To Acquire Greenland, Rejects Claims That Moscow Wants Territory

Russia Closely Watches Trump's Push To Acquire Greenland, Rejects Claims That Moscow Wants Territory

Foreign Policy

President Donald Trump said Friday that he may impose tariffs on any country that doesn’t support the United States acquisition of Greenland. 
While Trump has repeatedly said that he would like to take over Greenland for national security purposes, Denmark has rebuffed those calls, which currently controls the Arctic island. Trump suggested Friday he may impose some form of economic penalty on countries that block his plans. 
“I may put a tariff on countries if they don&#8217;t go along with Greenland because we need Greenland for national security,” Trump said during a roundtable discussion on rural health care. “So, I may do that.”
Trump’s comments come after a Wednesday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/denmark-maintains-fundamental-disagreement-with-trump-on-greenland-after-white-house-meeting?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Denmark+Maintains+‘Fundamental+Disagreement’+With+Trump+On+Greenland+After+White+House+Meeting">meeting</a> between Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. 
After that meeting, Rasmussen indicated that Denmark would not budge on giving up Greenland. He said that the meeting was “frank and constructive,” but ultimately the sides agreed to disagree, with Denmark sticking firm to its “red lines.”
Trump later said on Friday that he was working with NATO on getting Greenland. 
“NATO has been dealing with us on Greenland. We need Greenland for national security very badly. If we don&#8217;t have it, we have a hole in national security, especially when it comes to what we&#8217;re doing in terms of the Golden Dome and all of the other things,” he said. 
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-u-s-must-acquire-greenland-to-stop-russia-or-china-from-taking-control?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%3A+U.S.+Must+Acquire+Greenland+To+Stop+Russia+Or+China+From+Taking+Control">said</a> on Sunday that Greenland would fall under the control of Russia or China if the United States did not step in. 
“If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will take Greenland, and I am not going to let that happen,” Trump told reporters on board Air Force One. “I’d love to make a deal with them. It’s easier. But one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”
Trump said that Greenland’s security consisted of “two dog sleds&#8221; while Russian and Chinese submarines and destroyers encircled the island. 
Trump&#8217;s rhetoric on Greenland has largely been <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/greenland/trump-greenland-denmark-military-threat-congress-delegation-rcna254379">opposed</a> by Democrats and some Republicans. A delegation of senators, including Chris Coons (DE), Thom Tillis (NC), and Lisa Murkowski (AK), traveled to Denmark on Friday to back Denmark&#8217;s control of Greenland. 
“The signals are clear,” Murkowski said. “I think you will find that support in Congress to acquire Greenland in any way is not there.”

President Trump Departs White House For Florida

Trump Threatens Economic Penalties Against Any Country That Opposes Greenland Acquisition

Trump Threatens Economic Action Against Countries That Oppose Greenland Acquisition

Several European countries will expand their military presence around Greenland, the Danish Armed Forces announced Wednesday.
“The geopolitical tensions have spread to the Arctic,” the Danish Ministry of Defence said. “From today, there will be an expanded military presence in and around Greenland – in close cooperation with NATO allies.”
The countries involved in the expanded military deployment include Germany, France, Sweden, and Norway, which are all members of NATO. According to the Danish Armed Forces, the increase will include aircraft, vessels, and soldiers, with contributions from other NATO allies.
The announcement follows statements by President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly said that the United States should take control of Greenland for national security reasons. Trump said Russian and Chinese vessels are threatening the Danish-controlled island.
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with control over most domestic affairs, while Denmark retains authority over foreign policy and defense. Denmark has consistently maintained that Greenland is not for sale, despite U.S. discussions about options, including the purchase of the territory and financial incentives for residents.
On Wednesday, Danish and Greenlandic leaders met with American officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, at the White House. 
The Danish leaders attending the meeting are expected to hold a press conference later on Wednesday afternoon.
On Wednesday morning, Trump reiterated his view that Greenland is “vital” for the U.S. missile defense system, the so-called “Golden Dome,” and urged NATO to take the lead. “The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security… If we don’t, Russia or China will, and that is not going to happen!” he wrote.
Trump added that NATO’s effectiveness depends on American strength and that Greenland under U.S. control would make the alliance “far more formidable.”

Greenland Conflict – Nuuk

European NATO Allies Expand Military Presence Around Greenland

France

Norway

Sweeden

Europe’s weakness is no longer just Europe’s problem; it is the West’s crisis. For decades, the continent has drifted into complacency, retreating from free markets, hollowing out its militaries, and outsourcing its security to Washington. What began as integration hardened into dependency. The result is a Europe that is economically stagnant, strategically vulnerable, and increasingly unsure of its own identity.
President Trump’s recently released National Security Strategy and the National Defense Authorization Act are the first major American documents in a generation that speak to Europe not as a ward, but as an adult. They state, in effect, that the West cannot survive if its largest democratic bloc insists on remaining structurally weak. America will not abandon Europe, but it will no longer indulge Europe’s illusions. The ball is now in Europe’s court.
Trump’s statecraft is often misdescribed as improvisation. In reality, a Trump Doctrine of strategic sovereignty has emerged. Its core is simple: no nation is entitled to protection from the United States unless it actively contributes to collective security; coalitions are built on shared interests and values, not on inertia; and the West is worth preserving. Once the United States and Europe shared these beliefs, and their alliance was strong on this basis.
This abandons the fantasy of a self-enforcing “rules-based order.” Russia’s attack on Georgia or Ukraine, and other similar powers’ attacks on other weaker countries, have repeatedly shown that there is no universally accepted rules-based order. The simple, stubborn fact is that order is made and maintained by sovereign states that possess power, will, and clarity of purpose. Trump’s approach replaces the old habit of open-ended guarantees with a “balance of sovereigns”: the United States will remain the preeminent Western power, but its allies must become genuine pillars, not permanent dependents, to keep the balance of power in the West and keep at bay geopolitical adversaries that understand solely strength.
Trump has already done more to weaken the Russia-China-Iran-North Korea axis than his predecessor. Trump’s pressure on Moscow has been more consequential than Joe Biden’s. By pushing NATO allies to raise defense spending, by imposing secondary measures that hit Russian oil revenues, and by brokering peace in the Caucasus, Trump has constrained Russia’s maneuvering space.
Iran, once emboldened by Western appeasement, is now reeling. Israeli and American strikes have gutted its nuclear and military infrastructure. Combined with the Abraham Accords and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement, the Middle East has been reshaped in ways that keep Russia out and leave Tehran increasingly isolated. Iran’s proxies are weakened, its economy strangled, and its strategic depth reduced.
The updated Monroe Doctrine has likewise kept China out of the Western Hemisphere. Beijing’s attempts to buy strategic assets and political influence in Latin America have been blocked or rolled back, while Venezuela’s dictator is now under arrest, with his regime destabilized. Trump’s declarations about the Panama Canal and Greenland should be seen as part of this larger doctrine.
Taken together, these moves have fractured the “unholy alliance” of America’s adversaries. Europe should take note: Trump has shown that strength and clarity can weaken adversaries far more effectively than platitudes and half-measures. The United States is doing its part to reshape the global balance. The question is whether Europe will do its part to reshape itself.
Security begins with production. Europe’s retreat from free-market dynamism has hollowed out its competitiveness. While Trump has pursued reindustrialization, deregulation, near-shoring, and energy abundance in the United States, Europe has doubled down on regulatory maximalism and green utopianism — policies that have driven factories, capital, and talent elsewhere.
A continent that once powered the Industrial Revolution now tries to regulate its way into relevance. High taxes, rigid labor markets, and hostility to conventional and nuclear energy have produced dependence on Russian gas, Chinese supply chains, and American defense spending. There is no single European entity in the top 10 biggest companies, startups, or AI firms, because the European instinct has become “regulate before even creating”. 
Real recovery will not come from new Brussels programs, but from unleashing the energy and initiative of millions of individuals and families who are now trapped under layers of taxation, bureaucracy, and paternalism. Europe does not lack talent; it lacks permission to use it.
Trump’s doctrine treats Europe’s stagnation not as an internal matter, but as a strategic liability. Economic weakness means underfunded militaries, brittle societies, and a politics increasingly tempted by accommodation with authoritarian suppliers of energy and credit. A Europe that cannot sustain industry will not sustain deterrence.
If Europe wants to be something other than a museum of past greatness, it must rediscover growth: lower and simpler taxes, domestic energy, and a serious commitment to frontier technologies. Otherwise, the center of gravity of the democratic world will keep shifting from the Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific, not by American design but by European default.
Trump’s strategy does something European elites have avoided for years: it links power to identity. It speaks of restoring the West’s “civilizational self-confidence” and calls on the nations of the free world to defend their histories, cultures, and borders.
This is not nostalgia. It is strategic clarity. A society that doubts its right to exist cannot project power. A civilization that treats its past as a moral burden will not endure the costs of defense, child-rearing, or long-term investment.
For too long, influential European institutions have treated national identity as suspect, the family as optional, borders as administrative details, and free speech as a negotiable privilege. The result is fragmentation: uncontrolled migration, parallel societies, and cultural self-censorship. In such a context, phrases like “strategic autonomy” are empty. Autonomy presupposes cohesion. 
Trump’s message is that the West is not an NGO; it is a civilization. The President does not seek American domination of Europe. He seeks equilibrium. America First does not mean America Alone; it means an America strong enough to lead, partnered with European allies strong enough to matter. For Europe, that means three things: (a) Rearmament as an act of self-respect, not of deference to Washington. A Europe that cannot field serious forces from the Baltic to the Mediterranean is not “pacifist”; it is strategically unserious. (b) Reindustrialization and energy realism. A continent that shuts down reliable power without viable alternatives, and that drives industry offshore, will find its foreign policy constrained by whoever keeps its lights on. (c) Civilizational recovery. Europe must stop apologizing for its existence. Its nations, cultures and Judeo-Christian roots are not obstacles to the future; they are the only basis on which a free future can be built.
Trump has laid out a doctrine that treats Europe not as a client but as a potential equal. The question is whether Europe will seize this moment or shrink from it.  The United States has made its choice: strength, sovereignty, and renewed Western leadership. If Europe fails to rise, the West will fall, not because America abandoned it, but because Europe abandoned itself.
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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Nikola Kedhi is the Executive Director of the Albanian Conservative Institute and a contributor to various media such as the Daily Wire, Fox News, Newsweek, the Daily Signal, Newsmax, and others. Kedhi is also a co-author of the Constitution of Conservative Values, the official Doctrine of the Democratic Party of Albania. He can be reached on Twitter: @nikedhi95 and on his Substack.</div>
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The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

European Leaders Join Ukrainian President Zelensky For White House Meeting With Trump

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