Danish Leader: Trump Still Wants Greenland Amid Diplomatic Talks

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1705 EAT on Monday 16 February 2026

Democrats at Munich Security Face Reality of Shifting Global Influence
Many of the Democrats attending this weekend’s Munich Security Conference are eyeing the White House in 2028. But even if one succeeds, they may no longer inherit a title that every American president since the 1940s has carried: leader of the free world.

California Governor Gavin Newsom took the stage to highlight his state’s enduring influence compared with President Donald Trump, but he acknowledged in a CNN interview that world leaders he met with view the damage to the transatlantic alliance as potentially irreversible.

Progressive star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York sought to advocate for a left-wing populist foreign policy, but she drew headlines for a major misstep instead, underscoring the challenges Democrats may face in projecting credibility on the global stage.

Several Democratic senators, seeking to bolster their foreign policy credentials ahead of potential presidential bids, found themselves in a painfully awkward moment with the Danish prime minister.

The tension arose as some Democrats attempted to smooth over Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham’s earlier remarks, which suggested that former President Donald Trump has not abandoned his interest in Greenland, a semiautonomous Danish territory.

Meanwhile, most members of the House of Representatives who had planned to attend the conference did not show up, after Republican Speaker Mike Johnson decided to cancel the congressional delegation.

European thought leaders gave a brief standing ovation to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose speech was markedly more conciliatory than the one delivered last year by Vice President JD Vance.

Rubio, however, had set the tone for his trip earlier, telling American reporters: “The old world is gone.” He left the conference to continue to Slovakia and Hungary, two countries led by leaders considered sympathetic to former President Donald Trump.

The Munich Security Conference opened with remarks from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that underscored Europe’s shifting geopolitical reality, suggesting a rapidly emerging post-American century.
“A divide has opened up between Europe and the United States,” Merz said Friday.

“The United States’ claim to leadership has been challenged, and possibly lost.”
Merz’s comments reflect more than rhetoric. He revealed that he held “confidential talks” with France on European nuclear deterrence, signaling that unconditional trust in U.S. support for transatlantic allies can no longer be assumed.

“What I’m hearing now is, even if we are able to repair these relationships, it’s going to take generations before they feel comfortable,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, a potential presidential contender who attended the conference shortly after learning that the Trump administration had unsuccessfully attempted to indict him over a video urging troops not to follow illegal orders.

Even years after his death, John McCain’s legacy looms over the Munich Security Conference. A dinner named in his honor is still held on the first night, with this year’s event attended by his son, Jimmy McCain, representing the family.

“I refuse to accept the demise of our world order. I am a proud, unapologetic believer in the West. I believe we must always, always stand up for it. For if we do not, who will?”

The tribute serves as a reminder of McCain’s enduring influence on transatlantic relations and the conference’s ongoing debates about the future of the Western alliance.

Trying to carry the torch, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware closed down the basement Trader Vic’s tiki bar Friday night with shots of peach schnapps, following the tradition set by John McCain.

But this year, no one named McCain spoke on the main stage, and relatively few members of Congress attended a reception for the delegation hosted by the German chancellor.

The usually jovial Sen. Lindsey Graham, McCain’s longtime friend turned staunch Trump ally, appeared in a darker mood. He told reporters he was urging former President Donald Trump to take action in Iran, warning that failure to act could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

“If America doesn’t take down the Iranian regime, it will be a disaster,” Graham told Politico. “It means you can’t rely on America. … It means the Western world is full of crap. All they do is talk, and when rubber meets the road, they don’t do a damn thing.”

Many of the U.S. Democrats attending the Munich Security Conference are seen as likely contenders to challenge former President Donald Trump in 2028. Among them are California Governor Gavin Newsom, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Mark Kelly, former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Senators Chris Murphy, Elissa Slotkin, and Ruben Gallego. Their presence in Munich highlights how the next presidential race is already taking shape on the global stage.

Source: CNN

Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Establishment – Watch video here