US President Donald Trump has turned the World Economic Forum in Davos into his personal tariff tasting session, threatening to slap a whopping 200% duty on French wine and champagne because President Emmanuel Macron politely declined an invitation to join his newly minted “Board of Peace.”
In a classic early-morning social media barrage, Trump shared private text messages from Macron, who expressed confusion over the U.S. push to acquire Greenland while proposing dinner in Paris and multilateral talks including some unexpected guests.
Trump responded by declaring Macron soon out of office and suggesting steep tariffs would change his mind on joining the board—originally pitched for Gaza rebuilding but now apparently open for broader global problem-solving.
The stakes are rising faster than champagne bubbles. Trump has also critiqued the UK’s planned sovereignty transfer of Diego Garcia to Mauritius, calling it an “act of great stupidity” that exposes weakness and somehow reinforces his case for Greenland.
He shared flattering texts from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praising U.S. actions in Syria, Gaza, and Ukraine, while Rutte appears committed to navigating the Greenland issue diplomatically.
European leaders are now bracing for a potential transatlantic trade skirmish that could make Bordeaux pricier than a private jet fuel-up. France is pushing the EU to activate its Anti-Coercion Instrument, potentially hitting back with tariffs on billions in U.S. goods.
Luxury shares dipped slightly at the mere whiff of 200% duties, proving that even markets get a hangover from tariff talk. Meanwhile, the fear is that these spats over islands, wines, and peace boards could strain NATO ties just when everyone hoped for smoother sailing.
Trump’s Board of Peace requires a $1 billion entry fee for permanent spots, with Trump as inaugural chairman holding membership veto power. Several European nations, including France, the UK, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, are set to pass, wary it might sideline the United Nations. Invitations even extended to Vladimir Putin and others, turning what started as a Gaza-focused idea into a geopolitical club with a very exclusive cover charge.
Macron’s office called the tariff threats “unacceptable” leverage on foreign policy, while the French leader maintains alliances aren’t built on wine tariffs. Trump, undeterred, posted what looked like an AI-generated image of himself in the Oval Office with a map expanding U.S. territory to include Greenland—and, for good measure, Canada—reminding everyone his real estate ambitions remain boldly borderless.
As Davos attendees sip overpriced coffee and dodge tariff discussions, Trump heads there Wednesday, insisting Greenland is essential for security and there’s “no going back.” European officials plan an emergency summit to coordinate responses, hoping dialogue beats duties. In the meantime, the world watches as diplomacy gets bottled like a fine vintage—aged with tension and a cork of unpredictability.
Leave a Reply