European leaders set up group chat to track Trump’s ‘wild’ moves
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND: European leaders are closely monitoring President Donald Trump’s actions on the global stage, with growing concern over his escalating rhetoric on Greenland prompting behind-the-scenes coordination among NATO allies and key EU figures.
Amid heightened scrutiny of Trump’s public statements, social media posts, and policy moves, a group of senior European leaders has formed a private messaging channel to rapidly respond to what they view as potentially destabilizing actions by the US president, as tensions play out alongside the World Economic Forum in Davos.
European leaders create ‘Washington Group’ chat to monitor Trump
The group chat, known as ‘The Washington Group,’ includes UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
According to a source familiar with the discussions, the group was created to help leaders coordinate responses when Trump’s actions begin to move quickly on the international stage.
“When things start moving quickly, it’s hard to do the coordination, and this group [chat] is really effective. It tells you a lot about the personal relationships and how they matter,” the source told Politico.
The source added that most of the conversations focus on responding to Trump’s policy decisions rather than reacting to his often provocative public remarks.
Trump speaks on relationships with European leaders
Trump addressed his relationships with Starmer and Macron during a press conference on January 16, saying he believed ties remained cordial despite public criticism.
“I think I get along well with them. They always treat me well. They get a little rough when I’m not around, but when I’m around they treat me very nicely,” Trump told reporters.
“I like both of them, they’re both liberal. They’ve got to straighten out their countries. London has a lot of problems, Paris has a lot of problems,” he added.
Trump cited immigration and energy as key issues, criticizing renewable energy projects he referred to as “the windmills” and backing expanded North Sea oil and gas production.
Trump’s Greenland ambitions raise concerns among European officials
Trump’s renewed push to seize control of Greenland has alarmed many members of the group, several of whom are attending the World Economic Forum this week. Markets have reacted nervously as Trump continued to pressure European allies while pairing his Greenland demands with tariff threats.
In recent days, Trump posted multiple images on his Truth Social platform, including a doctored image of European leaders in the Oval Office looking at a map depicting Greenland, Canada, and Venezuela covered in the US flag. Another image showed Trump alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio raising an American flag on Greenland next to a sign reading “US territory est. 2026."
Diplomatic efforts to manage Trump’s Greenland push
In an apparent attempt to steer Trump back toward traditional diplomacy, the US president also shared screenshots of private messages from Macron offering to host an impromptu G7 summit in Paris.
In the message, Macron wrote, “I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland’.
Macron proposed a meeting involving G7 leaders alongside representatives from Denmark, Ukraine, Russia, and Syria, and also invited Trump to dinner in Paris.
Trump also published a message from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who wrote: “I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland” and pledged to use media appearances in Davos to highlight Trump’s role in Syria, Ukraine, and Gaza.
