The 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos was dominated by US President Donald Trump’s presence and initiatives, high-profile meetings on Ukraine, and a forceful address by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that many called the summit’s defining moment.
Trump and the Board of Peace
– Trump used his Davos appearance to launch a controversial “Board of Peace,” billed as a nimble international peace-building body chaired by him and intended to oversee the Gaza truce and reconstruction. He said the board could become one of the most consequential bodies ever created and would “work with others including the United Nations.”
– The charter signing at Davos drew a mixed reaction. Leaders who joined Trump on stage and signed included Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Argentina’s Javier Milei. Officials from Bahrain, Morocco, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Uzbekistan and Mongolia also signed.
– Traditional US allies such as Germany, France and Britain distanced themselves. Concerns were raised that the Board could rival the UN. Reports said countries were asked to pay $1 billion for permanent membership, and invitations included controversial names such as Vladimir Putin.
– Reactions ranged from polite applause to outright skepticism. Former UN official Volker Perthes called the Board, as pushed by Trump, “a non-starter” in its expanded form.
– Hours after the launch, Trump withdrew the invitation to Canada’s Mark Carney via a post on his Truth Social platform. Washington said little publicly about the reason; Carney had suggested he might consider joining once details were finalized, but his forceful Davos speech was widely interpreted as critical of rising geopolitical dynamics under Trump.
Greenland, NATO and geopolitical tension
– Trump criticized European NATO allies over defense spending and said he “won’t use force” to seize Greenland, a dispute that had earlier roiled relations. European leaders breathed a sigh of relief as Washington walked back explicit military and tariff threats.
– German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned the US “pole position” is being challenged by Russia and China, arguing the world is entering an era of great power politics.
– French President Emmanuel Macron, visibly affected by a burst blood vessel in his eye, warned of a global “shift towards autocracy” and rising violence.
Mark Carney: “rupture” speech
– Mark Carney delivered what many attendees called the best speech of the week, earning a rare standing ovation. He declared: “Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” calling on middle powers to work together amid a fracturing world order.
– Carney’s remarks were seen as a critique of the current US administration’s approach. Christine Lagarde, head of the European Central Bank, disagreed publicly, urging discussion of alternatives rather than talking of a “rupture.”
Ukraine, Zelenskyy and trilateral talks
– Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Davos, met Trump for about an hour, and described the meeting as “productive.” He said discussions covered a US-proposed peace plan and air defense support; he announced that US, Ukrainian and Russian representatives would hold trilateral talks in the UAE.
– In a separate Davos speech Zelenskyy criticized European leaders for timidity and fragmentation, urging them to act decisively to defend democracy and support Ukraine. He pressed allies on using frozen Russian assets, cutting Russia’s access to missile components, and on the broader need for a united European response.
Kushner and a “New Gaza”
– Jared Kushner outlined US redevelopment plans for a “New Gaza,” presenting a master plan of skyscrapers and modern infrastructure and proposing at least $25 billion in investment to rebuild the territory. The proposal revived past controversy over visions that critics say risk sidelining residents’ rights and realities on the ground.
Other Davos highlights
– Elon Musk made his first Davos appearance, predicting a future “teeming with robots,” saying humanoid robots could be sold to the public by the end of next year and forecasting rapid advances in AI.
– Reactions across Davos were polarized: some hailed new initiatives and big-picture speeches, while many attendees voiced unease at Trump’s spectacle and the possible sidelining of established multilateral institutions.
– As the forum wound down, commentators noted the summit had been the “Donald Trump show” in many respects, but emphasized that Mark Carney emerged as the moral and rhetorical star of the gathering, with a speech that many delegates described as historic.
The week closed with Davos attendees reflecting on a summit that focused less on corporate panels and more on geopolitics: US-led initiatives, contested global leadership, urgent debates over Ukraine and Gaza, and differing views among policymakers on whether the world is undergoing a rupture or merely a transition.
