Trump issues ultimatum to Hamas, doubles down on Greenland ambition at Davos peace summit

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, US President Donald Trump on January 21 issued a stark warning to Hamas, declaring that the militant group must give up its weapons or face annihilation, as he unveiled his much-touted ‘Board of Peace’ aimed at brokering global conflict resolutions.

“They have to give up their weapons. If they don’t do that, it’s going to be the end of them,” Trump said, claiming that as many as 59 countries were now involved in what he described as a “historic” mission to end the Gaza conflict.

Speaking during the announcement of the Board’s charter, Trump asserted that the Middle East was now “at peace” and repeated his claim of having resolved eight major global conflicts. He hinted that another breakthrough could be imminent, referring to ongoing efforts to end the Russia–Ukraine war — a conflict he admitted had proven far tougher than expected.

“I thought it would be an easy one. It wasn’t,” Trump said, calling the human cost “terrible” and claiming that nearly 29,000 people, mostly soldiers, were killed last month alone. He added that negotiations were moving forward, echoing earlier remarks by his envoy Steve Witkoff.

In a sweeping, hour-long address, Trump also reignited controversy over Greenland, stating openly that he wanted to acquire the territory “including right, title and ownership,” while insisting he would not resort to military force. “People thought I would use force, but I don’t have to,” he said. “I won’t use force.”

The president repeatedly mocked European allies, portraying the US economy as booming while warning that Europe was “not heading in the right direction.” While stressing that Washington wanted strong allies, Trump signalled that NATO should not stand in the way of America’s expansionist ambitions. “We want strong allies, not seriously weakened ones,” he said, invoking his Scottish and German roots to underline what he called America’s concern for Europe.

On the sidelines of the summit, Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for about an hour. After the meeting, he struck a cautious note. “There’s still a ways to go,” Trump said, adding, “The war has to end. There are a lot of people being killed.”

The proposed Board of Peace, however, has already faced resistance. Norway and Sweden have said they will not participate, following France’s refusal to join. French officials said they support efforts toward peace in Gaza but fear the board could sideline the United Nations as the primary forum for conflict resolution.

Russia has also not yet committed. President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was still consulting with “strategic partners” before deciding whether to join. Putin is expected to host Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Moscow this week, even as critics question why authoritarian leaders were invited to the initiative in the first place.

Trump departed Davos shortly after his address, with bad weather grounding his helicopter and forcing him to travel by road to Air Force One — a subdued exit from a summit that once again placed his confrontational diplomacy and sweeping global ambitions at the centre of the world stage.