French leader Emmanuel Macron lashed out at President Donald Trump during a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF), warning that the world is sliding toward a lawless era where “the only law that matters is that of the strongest.”
Macron’s Tuesday speech from the annual WEF summit in Davos, Switzerland, comes as tensions mount over Trump’s push to assert U.S. control over Greenland.
The French president’s remarks came days after Trump publicly released private text messages from the French leader urging him to reconsider his Greenland strategy.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is vital to U.S. and global security, citing threats from Russia and China in the Arctic.
Speaking to business and political elites, Macron accused unnamed powers of reviving “imperial ambitions” and trampling international law.
“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,” Macron said, adding that Europe must be prepared to use every tool at its disposal to defend its interests.
Trade Threats and Greenland Tensions
Although Macron avoided naming Trump directly, the target of his criticism was clear.
The French president denounced what he described as “unacceptable” trade pressure from the United States after Trump threatened steep tariffs on countries opposing U.S. action on Greenland.
Macron warned against what he called American efforts to “weaken and subordinate Europe” through trade deals and tariffs, arguing that such measures undermine European sovereignty.
“These are combined with an endless accumulation of new tariffs that are fundamentally unacceptable,” Macron said, particularly when used as leverage against territorial sovereignty.
Trump has countered that Europe’s resistance to U.S. security priorities, especially in the Arctic, comes while Washington shoulders the bulk of NATO’s defense burden.
WATCH:
Private Texts, Public Rift
The dispute intensified after Trump shared screenshots on Truth Social showing Macron privately expressing confusion over the Greenland issue and urging cooperation.
“My friend, we are totally in line on Syria,” Macron wrote in one message.
“We can do great things on Iran
“I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland.
“Let us try to build great things.”
Macron also proposed hosting Trump in Paris for dinner and floated the idea of an expanded international meeting.
However, Macron later acknowledged that no formal G7 summit had been scheduled.
The exchange followed Macron’s decision to decline participation in Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” initiative related to the next phase of the Gaza peace plan.
Trump responded by threatening 200 percent tariffs on French wine and champagne.
“Well, nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon,” Trump said of Macron earlier this week, before escalating his trade warnings against Europe.
Europe Pushes Back, Trump Holds Firm
French officials have urged the European Union to activate its so-called anti-coercion instrument, an emergency mechanism that could restrict U.S. companies operating in Europe.
Macron has also vowed to expand France’s military presence in Greenland, where a small number of French troops are already deployed for exercises.
Trump, however, has made clear there will be no retreat.
During a call with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump reiterated that U.S. control over Greenland is non-negotiable, arguing the island is essential to Arctic defense and global stability.
The clash underscores a widening rift between Trump’s America-first approach, grounded in hard power, trade leverage, and strategic geography, and Europe’s insistence on multilateral norms and consensus-driven diplomacy.
As Trump continues to press his case, Macron’s warnings at Davos signal that Greenland may become the next major flashpoint in U.S.-European relations.
READ MORE – Trump to Crash Davos, Drop Hammer on WEF Globalists
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