Kathmandu. U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Davos on Wednesday amid a potential confrontation with European leaders.

His rhetoric and pressure to acquire Greenland threaten to cause a deep rift in the trans-Atlantic alliance between the United States and Europe.

A day before the start of the World Economic Forum, President Trump made a sarcastic remark about European leaders. His strong stance on the future of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory in Davos, is likely to be at the center of the discussion. But European leaders gathered at Swiss ski resorts have signalled a united response to Trump’s aggressive rhetoric. French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to take a firm stand against “bullying”, while the EU vowed a “resolute and collective response”.

“You’ll find out,” Trump told reporters when asked how far he would go to acquire Greenland while Denmark is an ally of NATO. When he left the White House, he admitted that he did not know for sure what the end of his visit to Davos would be. Earlier in the tour, the president and his entourage were forced to return to the plane due to electrical problems.

Trump will address the annual gathering of the world’s economic and political leaders for the first time in six years. His speech is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time. But ambitions over Greenland have led to the biggest US-Europe standoff in decades, and he said he would hold more bilateral meetings in Davos on the issue.

Trump has argued that the mineral-rich Greenland is vital to US and NATO security because of its strategic competition with Russia and China. He said that the competition for influence among superpowers in the melting Arctic region is intensifying. In this context, he has threatened to impose tariffs of up to 25 percent on eight European countries that support Denmark. This has led to warnings of retaliation against the United States from the European side.

Mr Trump has warned that Europe will use its “trading arm” in the US market. In an interview, he said that no matter what steps Europe takes, the effects will eventually return to them. He also pointed out the possibility of finding a solution in the next few days.

In Davos on Tuesday, Macron accused US efforts of subjugating Europe and said tax threats were unacceptable. After President Trump released Macron’s message, the two leaders became more bitter. Trump later said he would not attend any such meeting, while Macron said no formal meeting was scheduled.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that US-EU relations were at risk of “going down”. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney received praise in Davos for his unequivocal support for Greenland and Denmark. “Canada stands firmly with Denmark and Greenland,” he said.

Greenland’s prime minister said on Tuesday that his community, with a population of about 57,000, needed to prepare for a possible military challenge. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has warned that any US action against its allies could spell “the end of NATO”.

At the same time, President Trump has said that he has contributed more to NATO than anyone else, and questioned the commitment of allies. He is also preparing to announce the first charter of the so-called ‘Peace Board’ proposed for the resolution of international conflicts. Its role is not limited to the occupied Palestinian territories, even if it starts from Gaza.