Emmanuel Macron has hit back at Donald Trump, warning that ‘we’re shifting to a world without rules’ where ‘international law is trampled underfoot, and the only law that matters is that of the strongest’.
The French President’s World Economic Forum address comes after Trump published messages showing Macron’s confusion over his Greenland plans and his proposal to host a G7 meeting in Paris on Thursday that would include Russian representatives.
Sporting a pair of aviator sunglasses to hide an eye condition, Macron told Davos officials today: ‘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’, adding that what he called ‘imperial ambitions’ were resurfacing.
He also said that Europe should not hesitate to deploy tools at its disposal to protect its interests, amid rising trade threats from Trump in the run-up to the US president’s own highly anticipated speech.
Macron opened his speech by saying: ‘It’s time of peace, stability and predictability, yet we have approached instability and imbalance,’ adding that ‘conflict has become normalised.’
But while Macron did not directly address the US President, he noted that 2025 had been plagued by dozens of wars, adding: ‘I hear some of them have been settled. We do prefer respect to bullies’.
Following his speech, Macron told reporters that he did not plan to speak with his U.S. counterpart at the forum.
Macron’s Davos statement comes after Trump published messages showing the French leader’s confusion over the US President’s plans to take control of Greenland.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron gestures as he delivers a speech during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 20, 2026
Sporting a pair of aviator sunglasses due to a current eye condition, the French president told the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday: ‘It’s… a shift towards a world without rules, where international law is trampled underfoot’
President Emmanuel Macron, Senate President Gerard Larcher and National Assembly President Yael Braun Pivet participate in a meeting on the institutional future of New Caledonia on January 19, 2026, at the Elysee Palace in Paris
France’s President Emmanuel Macron (2L) greets Queen Mathilde of Belgium (R) in front of King Philippe – Filip of Belgium (C) during the World Economic Forum
Trump posted screenshots on his Truth Social platform showing Macron offering to host a meeting with ‘Ukrainians, the Danish, the Syrians, and the Russians’ and inviting the US president to dinner in Paris.
‘My friend … I do not understand what you are doing in Greenland,’ Macron wrote. ‘Let us try to build great things.’
The message emerged after Macron declined Trump’s invitation to join his Board of Peace initiative, prompting the US leader to threaten 200 per cent tariffs on wine and champagne.
‘Well, nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon,’ Trump told reporters on Monday. ‘I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he’ll join.’
During a press briefing before Macron’s speech, the Elysee heavily criticised Trump’s tariff strategy, stating that France does not view tariffs as a viable solution to international or economic issues.
French government officials described the coercive trade approach as anti-cooperation and a fundamentally flawed method.
The French leader’s appearance at Davos coincides with the EU summit scheduled for Thursday, the same day Macron proposed hosting Trump in Paris for a dinner and expanded G7 meeting.
Macron has been at the forefront of European pushback, with French officials calling for activation of the EU’s anti-coercion instrument, an emergency mechanism that would restrict US companies’ ability to operate in European markets.
Trump agreed earlier on Monday to a meeting at Davos during a call with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, but insisted there can be no going back on Washington’s control over Greenland, as the Arctic island remains vital for US and world security.
Just a day prior, Trump sent a letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, attributing his Greenland demands to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
