22/01/2026 – 11:46
Putin tells Abbas Russia may use frozen assets to join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas that Russia is ready to send $1 billion dollars of Russian assets frozen in the US to President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative to support the Palestinian people, state news agency TASS reported.
Putin also said that the idea of using frozen Russian assets for the board has previously been discussed with the US, Russian news agency Interfax reported.
22/01/2026 – 11:38
Trump signs founding charter for his “Board of Peace”
US President Donald Trump has signed the founding charter of “Board of Peace” at Davos.
“Congratulations President Trump, the charter is now in full force, and the board of peace is now an official international organisation,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the signing ceremony.
22/01/2026 – 11:36
Trump says Board of Peace will work ‘in conjunction’ with UN
US President Donald Trump said that the “Board of Peace” has the “chance of being the most consequential bord in history” and that it will work “in conjunction” with the United Nation.
22/01/2026 – 11:33
Trump, at Board of Peace, says Hamas must disarm or it will be the ‘end of them’
Presenting his “Board of Peace”, US President Donald Trump said that “Hamas must disarm or it will be the end of them”.
“They were born with rifles in their arms,” he said. “On the first day they were born”.
His new board, he said, “is committed to ensuring Gaza is demilitarised and beautifully rebuilt”.
22/01/2026 – 11:09
Trump set to showcase ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos
US President Donald Trump is set to show off his new “Board of Peace” at Davos shortly.
Trump is hosting a signing ceremony for the founding charter of his body for resolving international conflicts, which has a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership.
That membership has however proved controversial, with the inclusion of leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine four years ago. Trump said Putin had agreed to join, while the Russian leader said he was still studying the invite.
Other members include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hungary’s Viktor Orban, while Pope Leo XVI has also been sent an invitation.
22/01/2026 – 10:15
A world where ‘only power counts’ is ‘dangerous’, warns Merz
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday that “a world where only power counts is a dangerous place” at a time that Russia has invaded Ukraine, China is rising and the United States is “radically reshaping its foreign and security policy”.
“A world where only power counts is a dangerous place. First for small states and for the middle powers, ultimately for the great ones… In the 20th century my country, Germany, went down this road to its bitter end. It pulled the world into a black abyss,” Merz told the World Economic Forum in Davos.
22/01/2026 – 10:13
Merz says Trump’s vow not to use force to take Greenland ‘the right way to go’
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision to back away from threats to seize Greenland by force from ally Denmark, calling it “the right way to go”.
“Any threat to acquire European territory by force would be unacceptable,” Merz said at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “New tariffs would also undermine the foundations of transatlantic relations.”
He also welcomed that the United States was “taking the threat posed by Russia in the Arctic seriously” and vowed that NATO allies would jointly “protect Denmark, Greenland, the north from the threat posed by Russia”.
22/01/2026 – 10:10
Germany’s Merz says Europeans must not ‘write off transatlantic partnership’ too quickly
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed on Thursday US President Donald Trump’s shift on Greenland and urged Europeans not to be too quick to write off the transatlantic partnership.
“We Europeans, we Germans, know how precious the trust is on which NATO rests,” Merz said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“In an age of great powers, the United States, too, will depend on this trust. It is their — and our — decisive competitive advantage,” said Merz.
“Despite all the frustration and anger of recent months, let us not be too quick to write off the transatlantic partnership,” he added.
22/01/2026 – 09:52
Putin says who owns Greenland is of no concern to Russia
President Vladimir Putin said that Greenland’s ownership is not Russia’s concern and that the United States and Denmark – whose historical treatment of the island he criticised – should sort the matter out between themselves.
Putin, addressing the matter for the first time in public, signalled that Russia would not object to Trump’s push to control Greenland, which he speculated may be worth nearly $1 billion.
“What happens in Greenland is of no concern to us whatsoever,” Putin told a meeting of Russia’s Security Council.
“Incidentally, Denmark has always treated Greenland as a colony and has been quite harsh, if not cruel, towards it. But that is a different matter altogether, and hardly anyone is interested in it now,” Putin added.
22/01/2026 – 08:48
China threat against Greenland is groundless, foreign ministry says
China’s foreign ministry has reacted to the latest developments on the Greenland issue by saying that “the so-called China threat” is groundless.
“China opposes the practice of creating something out of nothing and using China as an excuse for selfish gain,” Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the ministry, said at a press briefing.
22/01/2026 – 08:46
Reports: NATO chief and Trump also discussed US veto on Greenland’s minerals, ‘Golden Dome’
According to the Wall Street Journal, the framework deal discussed by NATO’s Secretary General and US President Donald Trump on Wednesday also included the possibility of the US receiving the right of first refusal on investments in Greenland’s mineral resources.
Such a veto would be aimed at preventing Russia and China from tapping the island’s wealth.
The AP also cited Trump as saying there had been “additional discussions” between the two concerning the Golden Dome missile defence program, a multilayered, $175 billion system that for the first time will put US weapons in space.
22/01/2026 – 08:36
French finance minister says Trump tariff withdrawal ‘first positive sign’
French Finance Minister Roland Lescure welcomes US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would drop his threat to impose tariffs on a number of nations for their stance on Greenland.
“This is a first positive sign that is moving in the right direction,” Lescure told French radio station RTL. “That’s basically what we were looking for. The magic word for the last 48 hours has been de-escalation. Right now, we’re de-escalating”.
Meanwhile, he said he remained “vigilant”.
22/01/2026 – 08:34
Denmark urges ‘constructive’ talks respecting territorial integrity
Denmark has called for “constructive” talks over Greenland that respect the territorial integrity of the EU and NATO member.
“We can negotiate all political aspects: security, investment, the economy. But we cannot negotiate our sovereignty. I have been informed that this has not been the case,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement.
The comments came after US President Donald Trump abruptly announced he was scrapping tariffs against Europe and ruling out military action to take Greenland from Denmark.
22/01/2026 – 08:33
NATO’s Rutte says he discussed with Trump how to keep Arctic safe
NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte said his discussion with US President Donald Trump was about how to keep the Arctic region safe.
“We had a very good discussion on that,” Rutte told the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Rutte said further talks would “make sure when it comes to Greenland particularly, that we ensure that the Chinese and the Russians will not gain access to the Greenland economy (or) militarily to Greenland”.
22/01/2026 – 07:56
NATO says Rutte ‘did not’ propose sovereignty compromise in Trump talks on Greenland
NATO Secretary Mark Rutte did not propose any compromise on sovereignty during his talks on Greenland with US President Donald Trump, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said.
“The Secretary General did not propose any compromise to sovereignty during his meeting with the President in Davos,” Hart said. She did not provide any further information.
22/01/2026 – 07:55
Reports: NATO chief’s talks with Trump included handing US sovereignty of military base
According to reports in Le Monde and New York Times, NATO chief Mark Rutte’s talks with US President Donald Trump included the possibility of handing the US sovereignty of the Pituffik military base in northern Greenland, as well as the potential of Denmark ceding additional parcels of territory to the US in the future for the establishment of more military bases.
22/01/2026 – 07:13
‘Charter announcement’ for Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ expected at Davos
US President Donald Trump is expected to spotlight his proposed “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum, with the White House saying a “charter announcement” will be presented on the sidelines of the conference.
Some 35 countries – including Egypt, UAE and Israel – of the 60 nations that have been invited to join have agreed to sign on to the project. But some, like Norway, Sweden and France, have declined.
The main concern is that the board’s mandate may be too broad and could undermine international order based on the UN Charter.
When asked by a reporter earlier this week if the board should replace the UN, Trump replied that “it might.” He asserted that the world body “hasn’t been very helpful” and “has never lived up to its potential” but also said the UN should continue ”because the potential is so great”.
22/01/2026 – 04:53
Putin to meet US envoys as Russia weighs Trump’s Board of Peace
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he would meet on Thursday with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Putin said during a meeting of Russia’s Security Council that he would discuss the possible use of frozen Russian assets with the US envoys in connection with recovery work in regions affected by the war, and that he would discuss use of the assets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is scheduled to meet the Russian leader on Thursday.
Putin said as well that Russia’s foreign ministry had been instructed to study US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his proposed Board of Peace and would reply in due course.
Even before any decision on joining the board, Putin said Moscow was ready to provide $1 billion – as required by Trump for long-term membership – from the frozen assets “in view of Russia’s special relations with the Palestinian people”.
22/01/2026 – 04:50
Qatar, UAE join Board of Peace, France and Norway decline
Eight Muslim countries – including Qatar, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates – accepted the invitation on Wednesday to join the Board of Peace, but reaffirmed their commitment in a joint statement to support its original mission aimed at advancing peace and reconstruction in Gaza and the Palestinians’ right to statehood.
France, a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, has said it will not accept Trump’s invitation, while the three other members with vetoes – Russia, China and Britain – are still assessing it.
As of Wednesday, Norway, Sweden and Slovenia had also declined. Slovenia’s main concern was that the board’s mandate is too broad and it could seriously undermine the international order based on the UN Charter.
