European leaders hitting back at Donald Trump’s Greenland threat at the World Economic Forum in Davos dominates Wednesday’s papers. The Guardian leads with a photo of French president Emmanuel Macron wearing sunglasses while delivering his speech, during which he warned that now was “not the time for new imperialism or new colonialism”.
“Macron takes aim at ‘bully’ Trump” says the Independent, focusing on the French president denouncing “bullies” and calling for the “rule of law over brutality”.
The Financial Times reports that the “rift with Europe deepens” as Donald Trump continues to stand firm on his intent to seize Greenland. The paper quotes the US leader saying there was “no going back” as he opens the door for talks ahead of his arrival in Davos on Wednesday.
“We’ll work something out” is the message Donald Trump sent to Nato allies before his departure for the World Economic Forum, according to the Times. When asked how far he was prepared to go to acquire Greenland, Trump said: “You’ll find out,” the paper says.
In a bid to reassure Donald Trump Europe can defend itself, the i Paper says surveillance units from the UK military could join a “tripwire” of troops stationed in Greenland. It adds that the Arctic deployment could include sea and air reconnaissance units.
The Metro shifts its focus to Donald Trump’s criticism of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in a “stunning” social media post on Tuesday. The paper fills its front page with a screenshot of the US president’s Truth Social message, accusing the PM of “giving away” the Chagos Islands where the US has a military base and calling it “an act of great stupidity”.
Following the post, the Daily Telegraph details more criticism from Donald Trump of the UK PM when he spoke to reporters. When asked about his relationship with Sir Keir, Trump said the prime minister needed to “straighten out” the UK because “London is having a lot of problems”.
Echoing Donald Trump’s attack on the prime minister is Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch writing in the Daily Express. Badenoch says Sir Keir is “out of his depth” on the world stage and praised the US president as being “dead right” for denouncing the Chagos Island deal.
The Daily Star keeps its eye on the fallout from Brooklyn Peltz Beckham’s bombshell statement on the family feud with his parents Sir David and Lady Victoria Beckham. “Becks bites back” is the headline on the paper’s top story as it features Sir David’s first comments after his eldest son’s Instagram post, saying “kids make mistakes”.
Quotes from think pieces on the Beckham family saga are plastered across the Daily Mail’s front page. Elsewhere, the paper reports on national security warnings from spy chiefs to Sir Keir Starmer after the government approved plans for a Chinese super-embassy in London.
Finally, the Sun headlines its Beckham coverage with “Becks, ‘lies’ and videotape,” highlighting one of Brooklyn Peltz’s Beckham’s claims that his mother danced with him “inappropriately” at his wedding.
The Times reports that Donald Trump will “confront” his fellow leaders when he attends the World Economic Forum in Davos after they accused him of unravelling the global order by threatening to seize Greenland. With the headline, “we’ll work something out”, the paper notes the US president’s suggestion that a deal could be reached, but also says he “continued his menacing approach” by replying “you’ll find out” when asked how far he was prepared to go to acquire the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
The Guardian says European leaders “lined up yesterday” to condemn Trump’s “new colonialism” with the growing row plunging trade relations between the EU and US into “fresh chaos”. According to the Financial Times, trust between Washington and European capitals has “vaporised”. The i Paper says surveillance units from the RAF and Royal Navy could be deployed in the Arctic, as part of British efforts to reassure the US president that Europe can defend itself and persuade him not to annex Greenland.
Donald Trump’s comments about Sir Keir Starmer and criticism of the UK’s decision to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands are highlighted by the Daily Telegraph. It says the US president told reporters the prime minister must “straighten out” the UK as London has “a lot of problems”, and described the Chagos deal as an “act of stupidity”. Writing in the Daily Express, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, claims Trump is “dead right” about what she calls the “surrender” of the islands, arguing it shows Sir Keir is “out of his depth” in the new international order.
Criticism of the government is also featured by the Daily Mail after ministers approved plans for a huge new Chinese embassy in central London. The paper says Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of giving up national security in return for a better trading relationship with Beijing after spy chiefs warned of the risks posed by what will be the biggest embassy in Europe. The government says national security is its “first duty” and an extensive range of measures have been developed to manage any concerns.
