The World Economic Forum, which takes place next week in the Alpine ski resort, comes as the world hangs on Trump’s words.
Since the start of the month, Trump has captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, threatened to invade Greenland, hinted he could take action in Iran over violent crackdowns on protesters, announced a temporary cap on credit card interest rates that has stoked fears of a credit crunch, and opened a criminal investigation into Jerome Powell, chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Brende said the meeting will take place “against the most complex geopolitical backdrop since 1945.”
According to the WEF, Trump will be joined by Canadian PM Mark Carney, China’s Vice-Premier He Lifeng, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders from Israel and Palestine.
From Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will attend along with leaders from Germany, Spain, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and Serbia. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will also join.
The informal grouping of countries supporting Ukraine, known as the “coalition of the willing,” are expected to meet with Trump and Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the WEF to seek U.S. backing for security guarantees for Ukraine, the Financial Times reported.
