STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
We have a story of very personal diplomacy. President Trump has been texting world leaders, and they have been texting him.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
In one message, Trump told Norway's prime minister that he's trying to seize Greenland in part because he did not receive a Nobel Peace Prize. That was Trump's explanation for shaking the most important U.S. alliance and disrupting the world order. Overnight, Trump shared messages he received. One comes from France's president, who tries flattery on Trump but then raises the issue of Greenland and proposes to discuss it over dinner.
INSKEEP: Now, world leaders meet face-to-face at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. NPR White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben is covering all this. Danielle, good morning.
DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN, BYLINE: Hey. Good morning.
INSKEEP: What's the U.S. delegation doing in Europe?
KURTZLEBEN: Well, today, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be speaking in Davos, then Trump is scheduled to talk on Wednesday. And then on Thursday, there's what the White House is calling a charter announcement for the Board of Peace that Trump created to oversee reconstruction in Gaza after the conflict he's been trying to end between Israel and Hamas. In terms of substance, we don't know much yet. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett has suggested that Trump will unveil a new housing policy. Beyond that, we know he likes to talk about tariffs. And days ago, he threatened to tariff goods from eight European countries until the U.S. has a deal to acquire Greenland.
INSKEEP: OK. Thank you for raising that. For those who didn't follow the news over the holiday, what were these threats about tariffs?
KURTZLEBEN: Well, Trump posted that he's going to impose 10% tariffs on those eight countries starting on February 1, then raise it to 25% in June - that is, until a Greenland deal happens. Now, we don't really know details here. I've asked the White House, for example, what law would even authorize this, and I haven't received word yet. But those European countries, meanwhile, they're all NATO members, and they've all said they stand in full solidarity with fellow NATO member Denmark, as well as with Greenland, which is part of the kingdom of Denmark.
INSKEEP: And Trump has certainly drawn all attention to himself once again with these threats, including personal messages with world leaders. What are these text messages?
KURTZLEBEN: Well, maybe most famously over the weekend, Trump texted the Norwegian prime minister that because Trump didn't get the Nobel Peace Prize, he no longer feels the need to think, quote, "purely of peace," adding that the U.S. should have total control over Greenland. Now, of course, the Norwegian government does not decide who gets that prize. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly elaborated to NPR that Greenland is important for national security and that Trump thinks, quote, "Greenlanders would be better served if protected by the United States." That's, of course, certainly not how everyone sees it. In that overnight message from French President Emmanuel Macron that you mentioned, he said at one point, I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland.
INSKEEP: A fascinating message also mixed in some flattery. You're doing a great job in Syria.
KURTZLEBEN: Right.
INSKEEP: Let's get together for dinner. But this is not the only thing Trump is doing on the world stage. There's also that Board of Peace you mentioned, which is what?
KURTZLEBEN: Well, that is something that Trump laid out when he talked about how he wants to solve the conflict between Israel and Hamas. And that announcement - that charter announcement that the White House talked about is happening on Thursday. We've learned more about that charter recently. According to a copy obtained by NPR, permanent seats will cost nations a billion dollars each, and Trump is set to be the permanent chair. And as our colleague Daniel Estrin has reported, the charter says there's a need for a more effective international peace-building body, which makes some fear that the board is attempting to create a rival to the U.N. So we're keeping a close eye on that. Russia says Trump has asked President Vladimir Putin to sign on as part of the board. So it's unclear what he'll do and what traditional U.S. allies will do.
INSKEEP: OK. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben. Thanks so much - really appreciate it.
KURTZLEBEN: Of course. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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