Davos, Switzerland – Donald Trump is set to make his return to the World Economic Forum, but this time, he will be participating virtually. After being reinstated as the U.S. president just three days prior, Trump will address a global audience on Thursday through a video conference during the annual gathering. This marks his first international speech since returning to the White House.
The fourth day of the event also includes discussions featuring Javier Milei, the outspoken president of Argentina, as well as Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient who briefly led Bangladesh following a significant political upheaval. Alongside them, tech leaders such as Dario Amodei from Anthropic, the company behind the AI model Claude, and Yann LeCun, the chief AI scientist at Meta, will explore advancements in technology.
EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen will also discuss energy transition issues with Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency. A day prior, a group of pro-environment demonstrators made their voices heard at a rally, waving signs including one that read “Sun Baby Sun,” advocating for solar power in direct response to Trump’s earlier remarks emphasizing the need for fossil fuel exploration in the U.S.
In Davos, the presence of Trump is noted, albeit not in person. He is familiar with this elite gathering of business moguls, startup innovators, government officials, and renowned academics, having attended it twice during his previous term. His actions recently, including withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, initiating a new agency to manage tariffs, and pausing a TikTok ban, have stirred discussions in the forum’s corridors.
Furthermore, Trump has recently garnered praise for proposing a massive $500 billion infrastructure investment linked to artificial intelligence, which has impressed tech-oriented attendees in Davos. Despite this, prominent tech figure Elon Musk criticized the plan on social media, suggesting the financial backing might not be as robust as advertised. Trump’s efforts also earned commendation from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who acknowledged the former president’s role in facilitating a ceasefire in Gaza. Guterres noted that negotiations had been prolonged and that robust diplomacy from the president-elect played a key part in reaching an agreement.
Meanwhile, President Milei took to the stage to voice his strong opposition against “wokeism,” framing it as part of a larger ideological battle between libertarians and leftist progressives. He condemned various social issues like welfare, feminism, identity politics, and climate change activism. “Our battle is not won, but I believe hope has emerged to dismantle the ideological structure of this sick wokeism,” Milei proclaimed. He emphasized solidarity among leaders advocating for freedom from what he deems a mental virus permeating the political landscape.
In remarks from the Pope’s envoy, Cardinal Peter Turkson, a message from Pope Francis praised technological progress but cautioned about the challenges AI poses to human dignity. He stated that AI must remain aligned with human values and contribute to achieving justice and fraternity within society, expressing concerns about its implications for the truth in public discourse.
On the geopolitical front, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte expressed apprehension that Trump might pursue negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin, potentially to the detriment of Ukraine’s interests. Speaking at a breakfast meeting hosted by Ukrainian tycoon Victor Pinchuk, Rutte reminded Western allies to maintain their support for Ukraine nearly three years into the ongoing war. “A detrimental deal would only lead to an embarrassing situation for the West,” he warned.
In a video message from Los Angeles, Richard Grenell, Trump’s envoy for special missions, acknowledged the complexities Trump faces in addressing the Russia-Ukraine conflict but emphasized that the former president possesses a credible stance capable of exerting pressure on both sides to cease hostilities. Grenell affirmed that intensifying pressure, whether economic or military, remains a viable option for Trump, urging patience from his supporters.
