From a T-Rex to the Hungry Caterpillar: Trump’s Greenland threats unleash attacks from world leaders at Davos

European leaders issued stark warnings and California Governor Gavin Newsom delivered expletive-laden rebukes at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as discussions were dominated by the Greenland crisis and escalating global trade tensions.

The gathering comes as Donald Trump continues to advocate for the acquisition of Greenland and the imposition of related trade tariffs.

French President Emmanuel Macron, sporting aviator sunglasses due to an eye infection, cautioned against a “new colonial approach” that he argued would dismantle decades of international cooperation.

Meanwhile, Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister and former central banker, urged nations outside the top tier of global power to maintain multilateral cooperation through a new, “dense web of connections.”

In the forum’s entrance hall, Governor Newsom was particularly outspoken, telling European leaders: “It’s time to get serious and stop being complicit. It’s time to stand tall and firm – have a backbone.”

The prominent Democrat did not hold back, stating: “I can’t take this complicity. People rolling over. I should’ve brought a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders.”

He added: “I hope people understand how pathetic they look on the world stage. I mean, at least from an American perspective, it’s embarrassing.”

Newsom likened diplomacy with Donald Trump to dealing with a “T-Rex,” asserting: “You mate with him or he devours you. One or the other … Wake up! Where the hell has everybody been? Stop with this (expletive) diplomacy of sort of niceties and somehow we’re all going to figure it out, saying one thing privately and another publicly. Have some spine, some goddamn (expletive).”

President Macron, after a sardonic opening joke about “peace, stability and predictability,” warned major powers against the allure of modern colonial ambitions.

He declared: “It’s a shift towards a world without rules. Where international law is trampled underfoot and where the only law that seems to matter is that of the strongest, and imperial ambitions are resurfacing.”

He then directly criticised the Trump administration, denouncing “competition from the United States of America, through trade agreements that undermine our export interests, demand maximum concessions, and openly aim to weaken and subordinate Europe, combined with an endless accumulation of new tariffs that are fundamentally unacceptable, even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty.”

Canadian prime minister Carney highlighted the vulnerability of smaller nations in the face of powerful states. “Great powers can afford for now to go it alone. They have the market size, the military capacity, and the leverage to dictate terms. Middle powers do not,” he explained.

He urged: “In a world of great power rivalry, the countries in between have a choice: compete with each other for favor or to combine to create a third path with impact.”

Carney concluded: “(We) argue the middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.” He firmly opposed US aspirations in the Arctic, stating: “We stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully support their unique right to determine Greenland’s future.”

With Donald Trump scheduled to address the forum later in the week, his treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, sought to defend the administration’s stance.

Bessent downplayed the growing rift among Western nations over Greenland, asserting: “I think our relations have never been closer.” He urged attendees to “Calm down the hysteria. Take a deep breath.”

Bessent added: “We are in the middle of President Trump’s policies. And of course, Europe is an ally, the U.S.-NATO membership is unquestioned. We are partners in trying to stop this tragic war between Russia and Ukraine, but that does not mean that we cannot have disagreements on the future of Greenland.”

Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever expressed profound concern over Trump’s Greenland provocations, stating that “so many red lines have been crossed” in Europe.

He warned against complacency, declaring: “Being a happy vassal is one thing. Being a miserable slave is something else. If you back down now you’re going to lose your dignity.” De Wever confirmed that he and Belgium’s King Philippe would meet with Donald Trump to advocate for a return to the traditional military alliance between Brussels and Washington.

He cautioned: “We either stand together or we will stand divided, and if we are divided, there is the end of an era, of 80 years of Atlanticism, really drawing to a close.” Quoting Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci, De Wever suggested that in this period of significant transformation, it is up to Donald Trump to decide the fate of the alliance: “It’s up to him (Trump) to decide if he wants to be a monster – yes or no.”

De Wever also referred to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a famed children’s picture book by Eric Carle about an insect that eats too much food. He accused Trump of not behaving like an ally, addin: “My feeling is that the sweet-talking is over. You reach the point where sweet-talking and sweet-talking is counterproductive. It only encourages them to go a step further – it’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that a diplomatic “downward spiral” in the West would only empower its adversaries. She criticised the proposed additional tariffs as “a mistake, especially between long-standing allies,” reminding attendees that “The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July.

And in politics, as in business, a deal is a deal.” Von der Leyen stressed Europe’s obligation to respond to international pressure. “My point is: if this change is permanent, then Europe must change permanently too. It is time to seize this opportunity and build a new independent Europe,” she asserted.

She concluded by emphasising the bond between the continents: “We consider the people of the United States not just our allies, but our friends. And plunging us into a downward spiral would only aid the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape.”