Switzerland Probably no meeting between Merz and Trump in Davos
A meeting with US President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had hoped for is unlikely to take place. The reason for this is the "delayed arrival of the US President", according to German government circles.
21.01.2026, 13:10
SDA
Due to technical problems, the US President's government plane had to turn back towards Switzerland shortly after take-off late on Tuesday evening (local time) and fly back to Joint Base Andrews military airfield near the US capital Washington. The crew of Air Force One had detected a "minor electrical problem", Trump's spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told the journalists traveling with him.
He later continued his journey to Zurich on the smaller Air Force One - a Boeing 757. However, it landed in Switzerland much later than planned. After landing, Trump wanted to travel on to Davos, where he would give a speech in the afternoon - this was originally scheduled for 2.30 pm.
Merz had expected the Trump meeting
Merz had been counting on a meeting with the US President, primarily because of Trump's claims to ownership of the Arctic island of Greenland. On Monday, he made it clear that he wanted to talk to Trump at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.
"I don't want to, but if it is necessary, we will of course also protect our European interests, including our German national interests," said Merz. There would certainly be an opportunity for a meeting. Merz made it clear that he took concerns about Greenland's military security seriously in the longer term. However, the Chancellor also pointed out that the USA itself once had over 30,000 soldiers on Greenland.
"So obviously the threat analysis of the United States itself is not as dramatic as it is being presented at the moment. Which does not mean that it could not become greater again," said the Chancellor. Trump wants the US to take over the Arctic island from Denmark, citing security interests.
