Europe on Alert: Trump Appears in Davos with a Big Agenda
US President Donald Trump finally arrived in Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF). Although his flight was delayed for more than two hours due to technical issues, Trump was still scheduled to speak at 2:30 p.m. local time, according to the official WEF agenda.
His trip caused quite a stir. His first flight departed from Joint Base Andrews (near Washington) on Tuesday night, then turned around and landed again shortly after 11:00 p.m. The White House cited a "minor electrical issue" after takeoff, prompting the plane to be turned around as a precaution.
Trump and his entourage then transferred to a replacement plane and took off again just after midnight for Switzerland. He arrived at Zurich airport on Wednesday, then continued on to Davos, the Alpine ski resort hosting the gathering of world leaders. In addition to his speech, his public schedule also included meetings with foreign leaders and a reception with business leaders.
However, his appearance came at a forum that was described as "chaotic" due to the many geopolitical issues surrounding his policies. Trump's threat to make Greenland part of the US and plans to establish a "Peace Council" for Gaza have raised concerns among allies, as they believe it could displace the UN and strain relations with Europe.
In recent days, Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on eight NATO partners, including Denmark and the UK, if they oppose his Greenland ambitions. This pressure has angered European leaders and has led them to consider retaliatory measures. Markets have also been volatile—US stock index contracts briefly attempted to recover after the S&P 500's sharpest decline in three months.
Meanwhile, Trump is expected to use the Davos stage to push his domestic economic agenda ahead of the November elections that will determine control of Congress. He will highlight plans such as limiting home purchases by institutional investors, capping credit card interest rates at 10% for a year, and encouraging massive mortgage bond purchases to lower borrowing costs. The flight delays also highlight long-standing issues: the aging US presidential fleet, while the project for a new generation of Air Force One continues to be delayed. (alg)
Source: Newsmaker.id
