Azernews.Az

French President Emmanuel Macron used his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos to urge Europe to defend its interests more assertively, as diplomatic tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump escalated following the publication of private messages and renewed trade threats, Azernews reports citing Euronews.

Speaking to a packed audience, Macron said Europe “should not hesitate to deploy” all tools at its disposal to protect itself, warning against what he described as attempts to “subordinate Europe” through economic and political pressure. Wearing aviator glasses and adopting a sharp tone, the French leader called on the continent to “fix its key issues,” stressing the need for stronger innovation, private investment, and strategic autonomy across critical sectors.

"Europe clearly has to fix its key issues," he emphasised in a strongly-worded message to the continent, pushing for greater innovation and private investment across key sectors.

While he did not directly address Trump, Macron did not completely shy away from the subject either.

He opened his speech by saying, "It's time of peace, stability and predictablilty," to considerable laughter in the room. Yet we have approached "instability and imbalance," Macron added, stating that "conflict has become normalised."

Then came the indirect potshot at Trump: while pointing out that 2025 was plagued by dozens of wars, the French president said, "I hear some of them have been settled."

He circled back to the topic towards the end of his otherwise economy-heavy address. "It’s not a time for new imperialism or new colonialism," Macron said. "This is a time of cooperation in order to fix these three global challenges for our fellow citizens."

"We do prefer respect to bullies," Macron concluded. "And we do prefer rule of law to brutality."

Macron's Davos address comes as Trump published messages showing the French leader's confusion over Greenland and his proposal to hold a G7 meeting in Paris on Thursday that would include Russian representatives on the margins.

Trump posted screenshots on his Truth Social platform showing Macron offering to host a meeting with "Ukrainians, the Danish, the Syrians and the Russians" and inviting the US president to dinner in Paris.

"My friend ... I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland," Macron wrote. "Let us try to build great things."

The messages emerged after Macron declined Trump's invitation to join his Board of Peace initiative, prompting the US president to threaten 200% tariffs on French wine and champagne.

"Well, nobody wants him because he's going to be out of office very soon," Trump told reporters on Monday. "I'll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he'll join."

In a press briefing prior to Macron's speech at Davos, the Élysée was explicit in its criticism of Trump's tariff strategy, stating France does not view tariffs as a solution to global problems or economic imbalances.

Officials described the coercive trade approach as anti-cooperation and a fundamentally flawed method.

However, the Élysée said Trump's actions validate Macron's long-standing advocacy for European strategic autonomy, which predates the current US administration.