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Trump to Meet Zelenskyy in Davos; Two Died, Several Others Missing in a Landslide in New Zealand's North Island. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired January 22, 2026 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[03:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church, Just ahead.

President Donald Trump hails a framework for a future deal with NATO on Greenland, but offers few details.

President Trump is set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the Ukraine peace deal stalls. What to expect in the bilateral talks?

Plus, a desperate search for survivors is underway in New Zealand after several people are missing following a landslide.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us.

It is day two for U.S. President Donald Trump in Davos, Switzerland, where he is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Trump is also set to host a signing ceremony for his so- called Board of Peace to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza.

On Wednesday, he announced the framework of a deal which he says would satisfy his demands on Greenland. There aren't many details at this point, but Trump says if approved, he will no longer impose tariffs on European countries set to take effect next month.

Here's what he told CNN's Kaitlan Collins.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Does it still include the United States having ownership of Greenland, like you said, you wanted? DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: It's a long term deal, it's the ultimate

long term deal. And I think it puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security and minerals and everything else.

COLLINS: How long would the deal be, Mr. President?

TRUMP: Infinite just make sure that there's no time limit. It's forever.

COLLINS: And how would you ratify the deal?

TRUMP: Money involved. It's not forever.

COLLINS: But you haven't signed anything yet, right?

TRUMP: To deal with forever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Sources say the prospective deal will likely include an expanded U.S. military presence in Greenland and President Trump has backed off his threat of taking the island by force.

NATO Chief Mark Rutte says the West still must protect against potential threats to Greenland from Russia and China.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: How can we make sure that these countries collectively make sure that the arctic stays safe, that the Russians and the Chinese stay out? And then when it comes to so that's one work stream coming out of yesterday.

And the other is to make sure when it comes to Greenland, particularly, that we ensure that the Chinese and the Russians will not gain access to the Greenland economy militarily to Greenland. And that will be a discussion taken forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: More now from CNN's Senior White House Correspondent, Kristen Holmes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It was somewhat of a rollercoaster day for President Trump in Davos, starting out with his remarks to the World Economic Forum, where he both promised or essentially noted that he would not be using U.S. force to take over Greenland, something that made a lot of our European allies breathe easier. But he also spent a remainder of that speech attacking those same European allies, European leaders as well as NATO.

Then he held a meeting with the Secretary General Mark Rutte, came out of that meeting and said that they had agreed to some sort of framework for a deal on Greenland. But that framework does appear to be very thin on details at this point.

President Trump was asked in an interview what it entailed. Here's what he said.

TRUMP: Well, we have a concept of a deal. I think it's going to be a very good deal for the United States, also for them.

JOE KERNEN, CNBC HOST, "SQUAWK BOX": A deal of ownership, a deal.

TRUMP: Well, it's a little bit complex, but we'll explain it down the line.

KERNEN: Are mineral rights involved? Is ownership involved? Did the Golden Dome sway people?

TRUMP: I don't want to say. I don't want to say yet.

HOLMES: Now, CNN's Kaitlan Collins also asked him if this new framework of a deal would include the U.S. acquiring Greenland. That was something that President Trump had essentially said was a non- negotiable, that the United States didn't want to defend a place it didn't own or was just leasing.

He danced around that question of acquiring Greenland, saying that it was a very good deal, a very long deal. When asked how long, he said infinite. But again, still a lot of questions as to what this means.

[03:05:01]

And we should note that this comes as Republicans, lawmakers, even some administration officials had been looking for an off-ramp for President Trump. We had seen a lot of pushback from those European officials at this conference in Davos towards President Trump and his stance on Greenland.

He had at one point threatened an increase in an extra 35 percent in tariffs to countries who oppose the United States obtaining or acquiring Greenland. He also announced when he talked about this framework that he would be dropping the idea of those tariffs.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Financial markets are breathing a big sigh of relief over the possible Greenland deal. CNN's Anna Cooban is live in London with more on that. And Anna, what is the latest on reaction now that President Trump has backed down on his tariff and military threats to Greenland?

ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Well, as you said, Rosemary, there is a sigh of relief. Remember that U.S. markets had their worst day since October on Tuesday.

And yesterday, the Nasdaq, the S&P, closing up over 1 percent. And futures today are pointing to a better day ahead. But European markets, interestingly, yesterday closed pretty flat. And then this morning, they're not moving all that much. You would think probably the opposite. They've just avoided new tariffs on their goods.

But I think this really speaks to the fact that many European leaders and investors just don't really know where they stand. Can they really trust Trump? That is the big question.

And what they've avoided are these tariffs, but really the impact, the negative consequences would have been the downstream effect. It would have been the retaliatory tariffs that had been threatened by the E.U., would have been potentially the E.U. putting blocks on U.S. companies accessing the E.U. market on taxes on U.S. services.

The possibilities were really endless. And they seem to have avoided that.

But Europe was really speaking with one voice with this. European lawmakers yesterday agreeing to block the ratification of the E.U.- U.S. trade deal. But the damage really has been done in terms of that frayed U.S. -- that frayed transatlantic relationship.

And Sweden's Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch had this to say on the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EBBA BUSCH, SWEDISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Let's be very clear. The last few weeks, apart from a very turbulent first year, has been very damaging for the relationship between the European Union, Europe as a whole, and the U.S. My message to President Trump and to the Trump administration is it's time to come to your senses and calm down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOBAN: So if we've seen over the past 24, 48 hours, it's very clear that Europe is prepared to retaliate with trade measures against any U.S. threats. And markets in the U.S. at least seem to be very happy with how things have played out.

CHURCH: All right. Anna Cooban, joining us live in London. Many thanks, I appreciate it.

Well, Republican Senator Thom Tillis was critical of President Trump's posture toward Greenland and Denmark, calling it disrespectful. Here's what he told CNN earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I'm concerned with many of our allies, our partners, militarily, economically, starting to think that they have to diversify away and de-risk from the United States of America.

That's very concerning to me. Look, I get the President's goal to get the NATO members up to their commitments, and I'm glad he's done it. He's done an extraordinary job, better than any President since the NATO alliance was forged.

But I'm beginning to sense that they're looking at worst case scenarios for the current U.S. posture, and that could lead to a disadvantage to the United States. And more importantly, the democratic world is at its best when we're working together, we're trading fairly.

I think that the president's right to hold some of the countries accountable. But when you cast them all in the same light, I think it's a mistake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: I want to bring in Peter Frankopan, professor of global history at Oxford University. I appreciate you joining us.

PETER FRANKOPAN, PROF. OF GLOBAL HISTORY, OXFORD UNIVERSITY: Hi there, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So we just heard from one Republican who's not happy with the way President Trump has dealt with the Greenland issue. He and others also feel all the high drama was unnecessary and damaging to end up with a whole lot less than what Trump was pursuing, ownership of Greenland. So what did the U.S. President actually achieve with all of this?

FRANKOPAN: Well, we don't know, because he talks about the fact that there's a deal and we're going to find out more. So the never ending box set series keeps on going. So I think this is the real challenge with Trump, is that people understand what the issue is around defense, around security, around paying for NATO, et cetera.

But the problem is, you never quite know where you stand with this President. And when you blow hot and cold, actually, part of the problem is not just you turn on your allies, as we just heard. It's that you don't know where you stand.

[03:09:56]

And part of Trump's performance yesterday at Davos was to make clear just how deep he feels petty grievances, you know, turning on Switzerland, for example, saying that he didn't like the tone of the voice of the Prime Minister or President. He couldn't remember which was speaking to him. So he increased the tariffs.

And I think all of us who believe in the rule of law, just on a personal basis, you know, with our mortgages, with our employment and so on, we have contracts. So we know where we stand. And the problem is, if those keep on shifting all the time because of the whims of a single individual or that small group around him, then suddenly you're on shifting sands.

So one of the reasons why Europeans have felt so disconcerted isn't about the existential crisis that's facing us in this age of multiple challenges. It's that Trump keeps on moving the goalposts. CHURCH: Right. And of course, after all of this high drama, President

Trump now says that there is this framework in place for a future deal with NATO on Greenland and the entire Arctic region.

As you point out, we don't know the details. We don't know much of the details at all. But it does appear that it may end up being some sort of renegotiation of the 1951 treaty with Denmark that gives the U.S. full access to Greenland anyway.

So what changes do you expect to see made to this treaty to satisfy all parties involved?

FRANKOPAN: Well, as you say, that treaty already gives the United States the rights to maintain, develop, use anchorages, airports, roads and almost everything it needs. I suppose the only thing is about funding it.

Trump, I think, as a real estate person, and how he talked about it yesterday at Davos, how he's talked about it over the last year too, is that he likes the idea of freeholds. He doesn't want to invest in leases.

In fact, yesterday he said, why the hell would anybody spend money on something that's not long-term yours? And I think that that's a kind of monopoly version of how you think about history and geopolitics.

But the problem is for us here in Europe, that sounds remarkably like how Putin talked about Crimea and parts of Ukraine. In fact, all of Ukraine. This is something that's in Russia's sphere of influence.

It's in Russia's backyard. The idea that there might be risks and therefore that he needs to control it for himself. Putin wasn't interested in some kind of agreement or lease on ports in Crimea for the Russian Black Sea fleet, he needs to own it.

And I think that for most of us here in the continent of Europe, I think that the challenge is that it looks and sounds like the use of force comes before wanting to negotiate. So it's true in this particular case, Trump has climbed back down. But when Trump came into Davos yesterday, many people in Europe were thinking that we're on the brink of a U.S. annexation agreement.

And what would that look like? Would you just land a bunch of troops and then claim it as yours? Would you take down the Danish flag and the Greenlandic flag and put up the Stars and Stripes?

And I think the fact that you don't know where you are with Trump is what the problem is here.

CHURCH: Right. And of course, even with President Trump's major back down on his original goal to own Greenland, the military force, the tariffs. What damage has already been done to U.S., European and NATO relations by his maximalist negotiating tactics in full force during his pursuit of Greenland?

FRANKOPAN: But I think if you take the calm view, you know, a bit like families arguing with each other at Christmas times or birthdays, you know, sometimes people kick off at the dinner table and then, you know, the water's calm over the coming days and everybody kisses and makes up. And I think it's in everybody's interest that that happens.

But certainly one of the things I think that's changed in the United States in the last year, maybe a bit more, is it's not just Trump and his praetorian guard around him talking about Europeans with contempt. That's something that's now gone through the American public discourse, where Europeans are seen as not paying their own way, as being presiding over a declining civilization and civilization in Eurasia.

We talked about that, about the national security strategy, and that's probably not a particularly helpful way of trying to think about what Europe's assets are and what we do in quite a good way. Because, you know, when Europe stood side by side with the United States in multiple different arenas, not least Iraq and Afghanistan, support is helpful. The ways in which we work with our intelligence communities dealing with threats is obviously important too.

But there's no question that the corridors of power in every European capital have been rattled by the winds that have gone through, because the ways in which Europeans are being talked about and being dismissed, I think, makes us think that we need to think about the world in a different way.

So even last year, the President of the European Union Council, Ursula von der Leyen, said the West is dead. And I think it's quite hard to come back from those kinds of conclusions, because Trump has reinforced those over the last 12 months.

CHURCH: Peter Frankopan, thank you so much for talking with us and sharing your analysis. I appreciate it.

Still to come, a meeting is expected between the U.S. and Ukrainian leaders in Davos, Switzerland in the coming hours. More on what President Trump said about it, that is next.

Plus, a U.S. Border Patrol official is seen throwing a chemical agent into a crowd of protesters in Minneapolis as the immigration crackdown spreads from Minnesota to Maine.

[03:15:05]

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CHURCH: The U.S. and Ukrainian leaders are reportedly expected to meet in the coming hours to resume their talks about ending that war. According to two sources familiar with the issue, President Donald Trump plans to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

And for more, Salma Abdelaziz joins us now live from London. Good morning to you, Salma. So what more are you learning about President Trump's upcoming meeting with Ukraine's President Zelenskyy? SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And we've just received an update

a short time ago, Rosemary, that President Zelenskyy is now on the way to Davos.

[03:20:04]

He had originally been scheduled to go there earlier this week, but because of these massive Russian drone and missile attacks on the capital, which have plunged just countless Ukrainians into darkness, he stayed behind. But he is now going into a Davos that is going to be an extremely challenging environment, to say the least.

There was hope, of course, that President Trump would sit down with his European allies at this economic forum and push forward some of those options on the table for Ukraine, including an $800 billion prosperity deal, including those security guarantees that President Zelenskyy so desperately wants. But instead, we saw President Trump, who was quick to insult his allies, mock his partners and belittle America's role with those European partners. Take a listen to what he just said about Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They don't appreciate what we do. Talking about NATO, I'm talking about Europe. They have to work on Ukraine, we don't.

The United States is very far away. We have a big, beautiful ocean separating us. We have nothing to do with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Now, those words will be extremely alarming to, again, a President Zelenskyy who is desperately in need of that help and who has said time and time again that Ukraine's future depends on the unity between Europe and the U.S. He is absolutely sure to meet a President Trump who is potentially hostile, who is unpredictable, who is on edge, and who has dealt just another major blow to that European partnership, to that European alliance.

We have two meetings that are taking place today between President Trump and President Zelenskyy, as you mentioned, on the sidelines of Davos. There's another meeting taking place today as well, and that is with President Putin and the special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. They have very much been the key mediators on the Russian side.

Now, Steve Witkoff, the special envoy, again, spoke just a short time ago on the sidelines from Davos, saying that there was only one outstanding issue and that he believed that a deal could be reached or that the crisis could be solved in some manner.

But look, Rosemary, to be honest with you, if the chances of reaching a deal were slim before this week in which we've seen this Greenland debacle play out, those chances are even slimmer now. And the unpredictability of the situation has only gone up. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Salma Abdelaziz joining us live from London with that report. I appreciate it.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is set to travel to Minneapolis today. He's expected to meet with ICE agents and deliver remarks defending the federal immigration enforcement operations underway.

New video out of Minneapolis shows Border Patrol official Greg Bovino throwing a chemical gas canister into a crowd of protesters. It happened during an altercation between demonstrators and federal agents on Wednesday. Before he threw the canister, Bovino can be heard warning the crowd, saying gas is coming.

Tensions in the state remain high after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent earlier this month. In St. Paul, one of the state's largest and most diverse school districts is now offering temporary online learning for students who don't feel safe going to school amid the raids.

And the administration's crackdown on immigration is expanding, with a new operation now underway in Maine. The state's governor says residents are living in fear, accusing the Trump administration of sowing intimidation and fostering division. U.S. Senator Angus King is also denouncing the operation and says he plans to push back by targeting ICE's budget.

In Portland City, leaders say they're alarmed by reports of aggressive tactics, including people thrown to the ground and forced into trucks. And public school attendance is dropping, as some families are keeping their children home amid the raids.

The race for Arctic control. Why the region is growing in importance and peppered with military facilities. We'll take a look.

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[03:25:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom," I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

The White House says negotiators are working out the details of a deal on Greenland. President Trump announced the framework of an agreement in Davos, Switzerland. Sources tell CNN it will likely involve an expanded U.S. military presence, including additional bases on the island.

As part of the framework announcement, President Trump dropped his threat of new tariffs on several European countries. The tariffs were set to take effect next month on all goods from eight nations that opposed his plan to take over Greenland.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is headed to Davos, Switzerland, for talks with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump. They're set to meet on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum to discuss more on ending Russia's war on Ukraine. The top U.S. envoy said a short time ago the negotiations are down to one issue.

[03:30:00]

President Trump has repeatedly claimed the U.S. needs to control Greenland out of national security concerns. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh examines the politics playing out in the region.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The race for Arctic control has run through the Cold War and now the melting ice of the climate crisis. The Russians had long been ahead. It is really their biggest coastline and defense hub, these dots, their bases.

They've expanded and developed some facilities, this likely a nuclear missile storage facility. They've added MiG-31s, runways, often overshadowing NATO. But Russia's development has, it seems, been challenged by its invasion of Ukraine, one estimate put in casualties from ground units from their Arctic ground forces at about 80 percent.

Now, remember, the capabilities of bases count more than their sheer number. But the U.S. has around eight in Alaska and is down to one in Greenland.

NATO member Canada, an ally, is enhancing three, bringing it up to about nine. And Norway's coastline, also a NATO member, is peppered with military facilities.

Militaries, though, are also here partly for economic reasons. The climate crisis and ice thaw has left vital shipping routes often open like these, a shorter path that China is keen to exploit. And potentially there are rare earth minerals, other resources that are easy to get to if the ice sheet gives way. But the Arctic's role in defense is vital to Russia and its enemies.

What's important is the Kola Peninsula here, where Russia keeps its second strike nuclear submarines. They need to get through the so- called Bear Gap and the Giuk Gap in order to move on towards the United States.

And so an unlikely nuclear war would also be fought over Arctic skies, with most missile paths over this area. And so it's likely where most missile defenses would be best placed as well.

Look, a weakened Russia, an ice melt, possibly leading to more resources exposed and busier shipping lanes. This is all heightened competition up here in a series of vital races.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: In Davos, U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to host a signing ceremony for his so-called Board of Peace in the coming hour. An administration official says about 35 countries are expected to attend.

The committee is set to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza. Dozens of countries, including Russia, have been asked to join Trump's board. So far, at least 20 have accepted the invitation.

President Trump says Vladimir Putin is one of them. But on Wednesday, the Russian leader did not commit to joining the board and said his foreign ministry would, quote, "study the documents."

Palestinian health officials say three journalists have been killed in an Israeli strike on a humanitarian vehicle. The Egyptian Relief Committee says they had been on assignment in central Gaza. Israel says troops targeted suspects operating a drone they claimed was affiliated with Hamas.

Rescue crews are searching for survivors of a landslide in New Zealand. Several people, including children, remain missing. CNN's Angus Watson has more details on what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): Cars, buildings crushed in the aftermath of a huge landslide that slammed into a holiday park in New Zealand Thursday morning. Families trapped under the debris.

TIM ANDERSON, NEW ZEALAND POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: It is possible we could find someone alive. So I can't be drawn on numbers other than, say, single figures.

WATSON (voice-over): The landslide happened around 9:30 in the morning local time at the foot of Mount Mongonui, a popular holiday destination on New Zealand's North Island. Heavy bouts of rain had flooded roads and homes had been evacuated in the area.

Some, however, had remained at the beachside holiday park, including Australian tourist Sonny Worrall.

SONNY WORRALL, AUSTRALIAN TOURIST: This huge tree crack and all this dirt come off, like, behind me. And then I look behind me and there's a huge landslide coming down. And I'm still shaking from it now.

And yes, and then I turn around and I had to jump out from my seat as fast as I could and just run.

WATSON (voice-over): Worrall said he jumped into a swimming pool as the landslide sent a caravan toward him at speed.

WORRALL: And then I dived across the other pool and looking behind me and there was a caravan coming, like, right behind me. It was like the scariest thing I've ever experienced in my life.

WATSON (voice-over): Police described the disaster as a once in a century event, as officers, fire crews and emergency responders searched for survivors.

Angus Watson, CNN. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The late Italian designer Valentino is now lying in state in Rome and his beloved dogs, Pugs, were also there.

[03:35:00]

Valentino died Monday at 93, he founded one of Italy's most renowned luxury fashion houses and became famous for his red gowns. He'll be laid to rest on Friday.

Still to come, one of America's top CEOs speaks out against one of President Trump's economic ideas. That story and other business headlines just ahead here on CNN.

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[03:40:03]

CHURCH: Welcome back to CNN. This is your Business Breakout.

The Asia-Pacific markets enjoying some gains following a strong rebound on Wall Street. You see there Japan's Nikkei up 1.73 percent.

And these are the business headlines.

The CEO of JPMorgan Chase says a 10 percent cap on American credit card rates would create an economic disaster. President Trump previously called for a one year cap on credit card interest rates. He says the American people are being, quote, "ripped off," but Jamie Dimon says he doesn't believe Congress would ever pass such a measure.

Ryanair CEO says his ongoing feud with Elon Musk has been good for ticket sales. Michael O'Leary says his budget carrier has been running a, quote, "big idiot seat sale" directed at Musk in recent days. The spat began after the Ryanair boss said he wouldn't install Musk's Starlink satellite Wi-Fi technology on his planes, Musk then called O'Leary an utter idiot.

Elizabeth Holmes has asked President Trump for an early release from prison, according to a request filed with the U.S. Justice Department. The disgraced Theranos CEO has nearly six years left on her sentence. She was convicted in 2022 for defrauding investors, Holmes had claimed Theranos could accurately test for conditions like cancer and diabetes with just a few drops of blood.

To some brilliant images of the aurora borealis now, and you're looking at the northern lights captured by an airport camera in western Greenland. And these images are the northern lights shimmering off the French coast in the northwestern Brittany region.

The amazing display can also be seen in other parts of Europe, including England, Hungary, Germany and Poland. The aurora can be seen well beyond its usual range because of intense solar storms.

A brilliant view there. Gorgeous. Well parts of southern Ecuador are blanketed in yellow right now.

Thousands of Guayacan trees are blooming after the first seasonal rains of the year.

The trees cover 40,000 hectares or close to 99,000 acres of protected dry tropical forest. Tourists have been flocking to the region to hike, camp and explore the stunning landscape. The bloom happens only once a year and lasts for just a few days.

I want to thank you so much for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "World Sport" is coming up next.

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[03:45:00]

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