Trump will address Davos Forum in his first speech to international leaders

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the World Economic Forum in Davos remotely, giving his first major speech to international business and political leaders as the new US leader.  

According to the event's schedule, Trump will speak in the afternoon, although it is not yet known what topics he will address in his speech.   

For the moment, the Republican has taken immediate steps to tighten immigration control, expand domestic energy production and has threatened to impose severe tariffs on the European Union. 

Trump has also withdrawn the US from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Paris Climate Agreement. In addition, he has proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico the ‘Gulf of America’, although he suggests that other countries might not adopt this name. On the other hand, he has threatened to regain control of the Panama Canal. 

This year's Davos Forum, held under the theme ‘Collaboration for the Smart Era’, has closely followed Trump's inauguration and his new measures. 

In the Swiss city, America's trading partners and rivals have already had the opportunity to allude to the second round of ‘America First’ policies.  

In this regard, without directly mentioning Trump, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang warned that ‘there are no winners in a trade war’. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to defend free trade, but adopted a conciliatory tone, noting that he had had good talks with Trump in the past.  

Likewise, European Union leader Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels was willing to negotiate with Trump, but stressed the difference in policies between the bloc and her administration on climate issues, reaffirming its commitment to the Paris agreement. 

Panama's president, José Raúl Mulino, dismissed Trump's claims about the Panama Canal, recalling that although it was built by the United States, it was handed over to Panama in 1999 under treaties signed two decades ago. Mulino assured that he was ‘not worried’ and that Panama would not be ‘distracted by these kinds of statements’. 

On the contrary, allies of the new US president, such as Argentina's Javier Milei, have expressed their support for Trump and his policies. ‘The world should celebrate the arrival of President Trump,’ Milei said at a Bloomberg event. ‘The golden age he proposes for the United States will be a light for the whole world, as it will mean the end of the progressive ideology, which is doing so much damage to the planet,’ Milei added. 

One of his business partners, Marc Benioff, the CEO of US tech firm Salesfoce, also expressed his support for Trump, calling his return to the White House ‘exciting’.  

Besides Trump and the economy, other main topics on the Davos agenda have been the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.  

Due to Trump's statements, there has been growing concern in Europe that the new president may try to quickly resolve the war in Ukraine through talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on terms that could be unfavourable to Kiev and the continent as a whole. 

That is why NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged Ukraine's Western allies to maintain their support almost three years after the start of the war. ‘If we get a bad deal, we will see the president of Russia celebrating with the leaders of North Korea, Iran and China, and we cannot accept that,’ Rutte said. ‘That would be a big, big geopolitical mistake.’ 

Richard Grenell, Trump's designated envoy for special missions, declared from Los Angeles that Trump faced ‘a terrible mess’ and ‘few good options’ in his efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war. 

‘President Trump has already made it clear that he's going to put pressure on both sides to end this. He's focused on trying to stop the killing,’ explained Grenell, who revealed that putting more pressure on Putin, economic or military, remains a ‘legitimate option’ for Trump.  

As the war continues, Ukraine's president, Volodimir Zelensky, has highlighted his country's potential to global investors. During the meeting, the Ukrainian leader highlighted the importance of investments in Ukraine, especially within the defence industry, the agricultural sector, energy and education.  

Regarding the Middle East and Trump's possible policy in the region, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, stated that he does not see the new US administration as increasing the risk of a conflict between Israel and Iran, despite the rise in regional tensions since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023.