A sense of geopolitical strain and technological disruption set the tone at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, where leaders warned that a fraying rules-based order, rising unilateralism and the rapid advance of artificial intelligence are reshaping global priorities more quickly than institutions can adapt.
Nearly 3,000 participants from over 130 countries gathered in the Swiss Alps for the forum’s 56th annual meeting on January 19–23, 2026, including around 400 political leaders and dozens of heads of state or government. What is typically a venue for discussions on growth and innovation was dominated by anxiety over transatlantic tensions, trade threats and the stability of long-standing alliances.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday warned that the world is moving toward “a world without rules, where international law is trampled underfoot and where the only law that seems to matter is that of the strongest.” He framed the moment as a defining choice for democracies, saying, “We do prefer respect to bullies … and we do prefer rule of law to brutality.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described the shift as permanent rather than transitional. The world, he said, is “in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” and “the old world order is not coming back.” He urged countries caught between major powers to cooperate, adding, “(We) argue the middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.”
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen cautioned against a spiral of trade retaliation that could weaken Western unity and benefit adversaries. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that disputes over Greenland and tariffs are distracting from Russia’s war in Ukraine. “The main issue is not Greenland now, the main issue is Ukraine,” Rutte said. “They need our support now, tomorrow, and the day after.”
Economic and technological concerns were interwoven with the geopolitical debate. WEF President Børge Brende warned that expanding conflicts could “kill global growth,” as markets reacted nervously to political developments. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink acknowledged criticism that Davos can appear detached from public sentiment, admitting, “For many people, this meeting feels out of step with the moment.” He warned that AI’s early benefits are likely to flow to “owners of models, owners of data and owners of infrastructure,” echoing fears of widening inequality.
Palantir CEO Alex Karp delivered one of the starkest assessments of AI’s labor impact, saying, “It will destroy humanities jobs,” while predicting increased demand for vocational skills and cautioning that Europe risks falling behind the US and China in adoption of the technology.
US President Donald Trump’s expected arrival on Wednesday loomed over the first days of the forum. His social media posts and reported messages to European leaders shaped much of the private and public discussion. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer defended the administration’s tariff threats against European countries as part of a national security toolkit. “The president’s view has always been he would much rather work things out with folks, and so a tariff is a lesser measure,” Greer said, warning European allies that retaliation would be “unwise.”
When he addressed the forum, President Trump repeated his call for negotiations over Greenland while saying, “I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.” He described US control of the territory as “a very small ask” and told European leaders they could agree and have Washington’s gratitude or refuse and “We will remember.” In a speech that stretched more than an hour, he criticized European energy policies, questioned migration trends in major cities, and revisited tariff decisions, including raising duties on Switzerland to 39 percent after what he described as an unsatisfactory conversation with its president.
President Trump also criticized NATO allies in front of representatives of the alliance, suggesting that without the United States “most of the countries don’t even work,” while insisting that Washington remains committed to European security. He referenced World War II repeatedly, saying that without American intervention Europeans “would all be speaking German and little Japanese,” and argued that only the United States could effectively defend Greenland because “you can’t defend something you don’t own as well as something you do.”