French President Emmanuel Macron used the global stage at Davos to push back against what he described as growing intimidation in international politics, after President Donald Trump published private messages between them and threatened sweeping tariffs on French wine and champagne.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Macron said the world was drifting toward “a shift to a world without rules,” stressing that Europe preferred “respect to bullies” and “the rule of law to brutality,” per the Telegraph.
The remarks came hours after Trump posted screenshots of a private exchange with Macron on Truth Social, a move that French officials confirmed was authentic, according to Reuters.
President Macron slams President Trump,
“We do prefer respect to bullies”
“We do prefer science to politicism”
“And we prefer rule of law to brutality”
“Having a place like Europe which is predictable, loyal, and where you know the rule of the game is the rule of law, it’s a… pic.twitter.com/4uTvh4kfMw
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) January 20, 2026
In the messages, Macron told Trump he did “not understand what you are doing on Greenland” and offered to host a G7 meeting in Paris involving major powers, including Russia. Macron also referred to Trump as his “friend” and said the two were aligned on Syria and could do “great things on Iran.”
Trump responded publicly and sharply.
“Well, nobody wants him because he will be out of office very soon,” Trump told reporters when asked about France declining to join his proposed “Board of Peace.” He then threatened to impose 200% tariffs on French wines and champagnes.
“I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join,” Trump said. “But he doesn’t have to join.” French officials said Paris has no intention of joining the board, citing concerns about undermining the role of the United Nations.
Macron has taken one of the toughest lines in Europe against Trump’s push to acquire Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. He has urged the European Union to activate its strongest trade defense tools and authorized French troop deployments to Greenland in support of Denmark.
BREAKING: French President Emmanuel Macron just completely tortured Donald Trump at the world economic forum:
“Examples of international bullies… when we look at the situation, it’s clearly a very concerning time… combined with an endless accumulation of new tariffs that are… pic.twitter.com/0bZGzGXjrp
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) January 20, 2026
Trump has argued the United States needs Greenland for national security reasons and to counter China and Russia in the Arctic. Over the weekend, he vowed to impose escalating tariffs on several European allies starting February 1 unless the US is allowed to acquire the island, a move EU leaders have described as economic blackmail.
In response, EU leaders agreed to convene an emergency summit in Brussels later this week to coordinate their response on Greenland.
People close to Macron say his stance has made France a primary target. “By leading the resistance, France becomes a target,” French lawmaker Pieyre-Alexandre Langlade told Reuters as he departed for Greenland as part of a parliamentary delegation backing Denmark.
At Davos, Macron warned that trade pressure tied to territorial demands crossed a red line.
“An endless accumulation of new tariffs is fundamentally unacceptable,” he said, adding that tariffs used “as leverage against territorial sovereignty” undermine global stability, according to BBC reporting from the forum. He also said Europe could no longer afford to leave its markets exposed while others weaponize trade.
This private message from Macron to Trump should be a permanent reminder that nothing unites Western leaders more reliably than their shared willingness to subordinate, destabilise, and terrorise the Global South. pic.twitter.com/mFnYchUp7G
— Jostein Hauge (@haugejostein) January 20, 2026
Trump’s publication of the private texts added another layer of tension. It reveals his willingness to make leader-to-leader diplomacy public when disputes escalate. According to Politico, Macron’s message was carefully worded, blending flattery with an attempt to de-escalate the Greenland crisis through multilateral talks.
Macron is due to return to Paris later Tuesday and has no plans to extend his stay in Davos to meet Trump, Elysee aides said.
The standoff has heightened concerns in Europe about the future of NATO, with Macron warning that Trump’s Greenland threats have weakened trust inside the alliance.
For now, Macron views the dispute as bigger than one island. Rather, it’s a test of whether sovereignty, alliances, and rules still hold when pressure is applied in public and behind closed doors.
