Truth Unveiled: A Look at Trump's Recent Davos Claims

Thu Jan 22 2026 02:11:11 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A critical analysis of President Trump's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, revealing inconsistencies and factual inaccuracies in his statements regarding Greenland, NATO contributions, and energy policies.

In his recent address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Trump made several contentious claims, including statements about Greenland, NATO contributions, and wind energy. This article provides a fact-check of those assertions, highlighting discrepancies in Trump's statements and providing context on international agreements and contributions.

In a free-wheeling speech to world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Trump made a series of contested claims. Trump touched on his desire to obtain Greenland from Denmark - which he referred to as a small ask, America's contribution to NATO, and wind energy in China. His address - which lasted for more than an hour - contained a number of false assertions which BBC Verify has been analyzing.

Did the US 'give Greenland back' after World War Two?

For weeks, Trump has spoken about his desire to acquire Greenland, a largely self-governing territory of Denmark. He claimed that after World War Two we gave Greenland back to Denmark, adding: How stupid were we to do that? However, it was never America's to give back. A 1933 international court ruling confirmed that Greenland belonged to Denmark. Moreover, an agreement signed in 1941 allowed the US to defend Greenland during WWII but did not transfer sovereignty.

Is the US paying for 'virtually 100%' of NATO's defence?

Trump criticized NATO, claiming that the United States was paying for virtually 100% of NATO and that member countries were not meeting their contributions. However, in recent years, US spending accounted for about 70% of total NATO spending. It is projected to decrease as all NATO members commit to spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense for the first time.

Has the US gotten nothing back from NATO?

Trump asserted that the US had never gotten anything from NATO. Contrary to this, NATO's principle of collective defense has played a crucial role for the US, particularly following the 9/11 attacks when NATO members contributed troops and resources to the US-led war in Afghanistan.

Does China have no wind farms?

In his critique of wind energy, Trump claimed that he had not found any wind farms in China, despite China being home to one of the largest wind farms in the world located at Gansu.

Does the UK take 92% of North Sea oil revenue?

Criticizing UK energy policies, Trump claimed that they take 92% of the revenues from North Sea oil. This figure is misleading; oil companies operating there pay a 30% corporation tax, a supplementary 10% tax, and a windfall tax which brings the total tax on profits, not revenues, to 78%.

Has Trump secured $18tn worth of investments for the US?

Regarding investments, Trump claimed he secured commitments worth $18 trillion. However, there is no publicly available evidence to support this figure, with a White House tracker reporting a lower amount of $9.6 trillion.

This analysis sheds light on the misrepresentations in Trump's statements, underscoring the importance of verifying claims made in high-profile international forums.