President Donald Trump is setting his sights on the World Economic Forum in the picturesque Swiss Alps, scheduled for Wednesday. His visit, however, might be colored by his controversial ambition to acquire Greenland from Denmark, a move that could strain relationships with European allies. Originally, Trump aimed to use this platform to discuss pressing affordability issues back home, but the Greenland affair threatens to overshadow these intentions.

As Trump makes his way to the international forum in Davos, he does so under the cloud of potential tariffs targeting Denmark and seven other allies. These tariffs are set to be imposed unless there is an agreement on the transfer of Greenland, a request that European leaders have firmly resisted. Trump has proposed starting these tariffs at 10% next month, potentially escalating to 25% by June. Such rates could significantly elevate costs and slow economic growth, complicating Trump’s efforts to address high living expenses in the U.S.

In a rather unexpected twist, a text message from Trump circulated among European officials this week, linking his assertive approach regarding Greenland to his disappointment over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize last year. In a direct message to Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, Trump expressed his diminished sense of duty to focus solely on peace.

This episode unfolds amidst a period of unpredictability in U.S. relations with its longstanding allies, casting uncertainty over what outcomes might emerge from Trump’s two-day stay in Switzerland.

“This will be an interesting trip,” Trump remarked to reporters as he left the White House on Tuesday evening, preparing for his journey to Davos. “I have no idea what’s going to happen, but you are well represented.”

In fact, his trip to Davos got off to a difficult start. There was a minor electrical problem on Air Force One, leading the crew to turn around the plane about 30 minutes into the flight out of an abundance of caution and delaying the president’s arrival in Switzerland.

Wall Street wobbled on Tuesday as investors weighed Trump’s new tariff threats and escalating tensions with European allies. The S&P 500 fell 2.1%, its biggest drop since October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.8%. The Nasdaq composite slumped 2.4%.

“It’s clear that we are reaching a time of instability, of imbalances, both from the security and defense point of view, and economic point of view,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in his address to the forum. Macron made no direct mention of Trump but urged fellow leaders to reject acceptance of “the law of the strongest.”

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned the bloc’s response, should Trump move forward with the tariffs, “will be unflinching, united and proportional.” She pointedly suggested that Trump’s new tariff threat could also undercut a US-EU trade framework reached this summer that the Trump administration worked hard to to seal.

“The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July,” von der Leyen said in Davos. “And in politics as in business — a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something.”

Why Trump is talking about housing in Davos

Trump, ahead of the address, said he planned on using his Davos appearance to talk about making housing more attainable and other affordability issues that are top priorities for Americans.

But Trump’s Greenland tariff threat could disrupt the U.S. economy if it blows up the trade truce reached last year between the U.S. and the EU, said Scott Lincicome, a tariff critic and vice president on economic issues at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

“Significantly undermining investors’ confidence in the U.S. economy in the longer term would likely increase interest rates and thus make homes less affordable,” Lincicome said.

Trump also on Tuesday warned Europe against retaliatory action for the coming new tariffs.

“Anything they do with us, I’ll just meet it,” Trump said on NewsNation’s “Katie Pavlich Tonight.” “All I have to do is meet it, and it’s going to go ricocheting backward.”

Davos — a forum known for its appeal to the global elite — is an odd backdrop for a speech on affordability. But White House officials have promoted it as a moment for Trump to try to rekindle populist support back in the U.S., where many voters who backed him in 2024 view affordability as a major problem. About six in 10 U.S. adults now say that Trump has hurt the cost of living, according to the latest survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

U.S. home sales are at a 30-year low with rising prices and elevated mortgage rates keeping many prospective buyers out of the market. So far, Trump has announced plans to buy $200 billion in mortgage securities to help lower interest rates on home loans, and has called for a ban on large financial companies buying houses.

Trump will promote his ‘Board of Peace’

The White House has said Trump plans to meet with leaders on the sidelines of the forum, after he gives his keynote address. There are more than 60 other heads of state attending.

On Thursday, Trump plans to have an event to talk about the “Board of Peace,” a new body meant to oversee the end of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and possibly take on a broader mandate, potentially rivaling the United Nations.

Fewer than 10 leaders have accepted invitations to join the group so far, including a handful of leaders considered to be anti-democratic authoritarians. Several of America’s main European partners have declined or been noncommittal, including Britain, France and Germany.

Trump on Tuesday told reporters that his peace board “might” eventually make the U.N. obsolete but insisted he wants to see the international body stick around.

“I believe you got to let the U.N. continue, because the potential is so great,” Trump said.

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Madhani reported from Washington.