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One World with Zain Asher

Trump Speaks at World Economic Forum Amid Push for Greenland; Trump's Comments on Not Attacking Greenland Calm Markets; European Union Has Paused Work on a U.S. Trade Deal; Trump Ordered Strike on Islamic State in Nigeria Last Month; Trump Meets Egyptian President Fatah Al-Sisi in Davos; Major Concerns Remain Over Gaza Board of Peace. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired January 21, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Hello everyone. Live from New York. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching "One World". Doubling down as a transatlantic rift grows wider.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah. And a combative speech at the World Economic Forum, U.S. President Trump said that he wouldn't use force to take over the Danish

territory of Greenland, but he called for immediate talks to make it part of America, despite calling it a cold and poorly located piece of I.C.E.,

saying a U.S. takeover is a matter of national and international security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I have tremendous respect for both the people of Greenland and the people of Denmark,

tremendous respect. But every NATO ally has an obligation to be able to defend their own territory. And the fact is, no nation or group of nations

is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the United States.

It's the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of I.C.E., develop it and improve it and make it so that it's

good for Europe and safe for Europe and good for us. And that's the reason I'm seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of

Greenland by the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Trump referred to Greenland as underdeveloped territory, and said the U.S. needs it to build a defensive Golden Dome. He also added a

familiar set of grievances from the 2020 election to wind mills, along with this often-repeated claim.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The United States is treated very unfairly by NATO. I want to tell you that, when you think about it, nobody can dispute it. We give so much

and we get so little in return. And I've been a critic of NATO for many years. And yet I've done more to help NATO than any other president, by

far, than any other person you wouldn't have NATO if I didn't get involved in my first term.

All we're asking for is to get Greenland, including right title and ownership, because you need the ownership to defend it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: CNN's Alayna Treene joins us now live at the White House. And the big headline, I guess, there from the president, Alayna, was that he

has taken military options off the table in terms of the U.S. acquiring Greenland. We saw the markets react to that positively.

What he hasn't taken off the table are tariffs. Is that still in place? As he says that he is going into negotiations and hoping that the Danes go

along with it, and those that don't will be quote remembered.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, there's -- certainly he's going to leave tariffs likely on the table as leverage that is typical of

this president. And you know, wouldn't want to remove that as he heads into these negotiations. But I agree with you.

I think the biggest line, the biggest takeaway when it comes to Greenland from those remarks is that he said he will not do it with force, a threat

that he has not been willing to move away from in recent weeks, doing so today. But a lot of what you heard from the president, I think the

important thing to keep in mind, I hear this in my conversations with White House officials.

But also, I think it's very clear how he views foreign policy, which is that it is transactional to him. He believes that the United States

deserves Greenland, is how he put it, because of the NATO. And I can tell you that he personally believes it's not just the U.S. that he believes has

strengthened NATO in history, but that he personally deserves Greenland because he believes he personally has strengthened NATO by convincing other

NATO members to increase the percentage of GDP that they spend on defense.

That's part of this, and it's similar with tariffs. He made this case during the speech as well, that he believes that other countries deserve to

be paying some of these tariffs because he believes that they have been taking advantage of the United States for too long.

Again, coming back to that transactional part of this. One thing I do want to bring out that I found interesting from one of those little bites that

you guys played is that he said he believes that they need ownership of Greenland because he needs, he said you need the ownership to defend it.

[11:05:00]

He even recognized what he has heard from some of you know the United States European allies, which is that the U.S. can, because of the treaty

that they signed, they can put as much military in Greenland as they want to try and defend national security. But he says that it's not the same if

you have this type of lease agreement, he called it, that he needs ownership in order to defend it.

So that was an important case that he made. I also think one of the bottom- line threats, kind of, the way that he tied up the Greenland conversation in these remarks, is when he said they have a choice talking about European

allies. He said, you can say yes, and we will be very appreciative, or you can say no, and we will remember.

So, kind of leaving them with that final thought. But there's going to be, you know, I think NATO allies are very much kind of probably feeling a sigh

of relief that he's taken military intervention off the table. But there are still so much that needs to be discussed here, and so much that they

have to work through, because still, Denmark says that Greenland is not for sale, so this won't be the end of that.

GOLODRYGA: All right, Alayna Treene at the White House for us this, as the Danish Foreign Minister now has said that it was a relief and they are

pleased to hear that the military threat for the acquisition of Greenland is off the table.

ASHER: Let's bring in CNN's Chief International Anchor, Christiane Amanpour, joining us live now, from London. The president, U.S. President

made a few false statements, particularly about the U.S. handing back Greenland to Denmark as you know.

He also intimated that there was nothing wrong with colonialism, and made fun of former European colonial powers for losing territory over time.

Perhaps intimating at the UK, I guess, and possibly France as well. But he will have an opportunity, or rather, European leaders do now have an

opportunity, some of them to perhaps meet with President Trump bilaterally.

What do they need to say to the president here? We know that the military option at this point is off the table. Obviously, the U.S. President can

change his mind. He's no to do that, but what do they need to say? And what kind of diplomacy is going to work here, Christiane?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, Zain, firstly, I think he was really clear. He said it in every different emphatic way. I

don't need to. I don't want to. I won't about military -- so if he changes from that, that is a big deal. It's not just a throw away statement.

He said, I'm not going to do it, but I still want it. So, they have this idea that the negotiations that were happening in Washington last week,

when the Danish and the Greenlandic Foreign Ministers went over there and they talked to Secretary Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, that in the

words of Karoline Leavitt, these were going to be negotiations about the acquisition of Greenland.

No, says the Danish Foreign Minister. According to my reporting, it's not about acquiring Greenland. So, what is it? According to my reporting from

various high-level officials I've been speaking to, we've got to try and de-escalate this, bring it down. Avoid a massive trade war, avoid Europe

deploying its so-called trade bazooka tariffs against the United States.

And try to give Trump what he wants, try to have some kind of document, even to show that he has what he needs in Greenland without military force,

which he seems to have taken off the table and without buying it. The Greenlanders, the Danes, say it's not for sale and it's not for swallowing

up.

The Europeans do not want to be attacked in an economic war, so they got to figure it out how to say whatever they need to say and do, to give Trump

whatever he thinks, he needs in terms of national security, as he keeps saying, without it being sold, swallowed up or in other way, you know,

losing its current status.

As you know and you've said it before, and we've said it many times. Greenland has a treaty, has a deal with the United States. Denmark does

that allows the United States pretty much free reign when it comes to the deployment of military for national security purposes.

So, it's kind of a non-starter. But again, as Alayna pointed out, for President Trump, ownership matters. It's psychological. He said it himself

a week or so ago. This is about psychology. He can't imagine leasing or renting. He's a real estate guy. He's a business guy.

He wants to own. It's not for sale. Say the Danes and say the Greenlanders. And by the way, 85 percent of the American voters, according to CNN's poll,

according to another poll, say they don't agree with this either. Either military occupation and intervention into Greenland or using taxpayer money

to buy it.

GOLODRYGA: And Christiane, this has gone from being a massive distraction for the alliance to a potential crisis. Now, hopefully there has been some

de-escalation, though, the issue over Trump's desire for Greenland is still on the table and still a big problem for these allies here as they are

trying to find a solution to the ongoing problem that they were hoping they could spend more time with here at the World Economic Forum, and that is

the war in Ukraine.

[11:10:00]

President Trump now is scheduled to meet with President Zelenskyy tomorrow. I think there was some doubt as to whether President Zelenskyy would be

coming to Davos following the continued strikes on Kyiv and Ukraine, and also his concern that there are still no security guarantees that the U.S.

is providing for the country.

What are you expecting? What are you looking for from this conversation that's set to take place tomorrow?

AMANPOUR: Well, as you rightly say, Ukraine is the hugest preoccupation for Europe. Greenland was a distraction for them. It's a -- for them, it's not

the main play, Ukraine is, Russia is and so they have to try to get Trump to give security guarantees for Ukraine.

Everybody knows there's going to be some kind of territorial, you know, play on that, you know, in that terrible word of the chess board of that

war. There's going to have to be some territorial gives by Ukraine, but there has to be a security guarantee, that is, you know, iron clad, not

just somebody's word, it has to be absolutely written down.

And that is why President Zelenskyy suggested he would not meet with President Trump, or had no plans to, unless he was assured of security

guarantees. Now President Trump says he is meeting tomorrow. That's what his people told him on that stage today. And that must mean that maybe

there's progress in the, you know, really highly necessary security guarantee peace.

President Trump again, played sort of equivalency between Ukraine and Russia, between Zelenskyy and Putin, both on the battlefield, both in terms

of reluctance to actually sign, you know, a peace deal. So, he's still playing that, you know, equivocal game, failing, you know, again, to

recognize that.

You know, Ukraine is the victim. Russia is the aggressor. But in this era where President Trump is essentially torn up, and said it torn up the rules

of the road, he's the decider, might makes right, et cetera, you know, who knows? Maybe they will continue to give the, you know, the benefit out to

this, who they think is the stronger, which is Russia, which is not necessarily case, according to most military analysts.

Russia is losing a lot. Ukraine has for 12 years, held off Russia since the 2014 invasion. So, this is a real issue, and it really relies on guaranteed

security, you know, provisions for Ukraine.

ASHER: All right, Christiane Amanpour. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

GOLODRYGA: Thanks Christiane.

ASHER: All right, President Trump did not technically mention tariffs in his speech, but the threat of terrorists against European countries over

Greenland certainly looms large over the meetings in Davos. And CNN has just learned that the European Union has a frozen work on a U.S. trade

deal.

Here's a look at the markets after Trump's speech there at Davos. Let's see pretty much all in the green one of the things that is really boosting

markets, of course, Donald Trump saying that there is not going to be any kind of, at least for now, military action in Greenland as an attempt to

take over that island.

GOLODRYGA: A few things can seemingly change Trump's mind. A negative market reaction, of course, is one of them. For example, the bond market, a

sell off would raise borrowing costs for the government, businesses and consumers. That's what happened in April, prompting the Trump

Administration to pause most of its tariffs for 90 days.

CNN's Business and Politics Correspondent Vanessa Yurkevich, joins us now with some perspective. Yesterday, we saw a market sell off that we haven't

seen since, I believe, October, a flight to capital and risk there. Obviously, treasuries went up, people then putting more money.

We saw a spike in gold, in other commodities now, with the president taking military threats against a NATO ally, it's still stunning to have to even

say these words off the table. We see the market rebounding a bit, but the concerns over a continued or an escalating trade war are still very much in

play, Vanessa.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, they are. And we know that investors are incredibly headline sensitive right now. And

the headline, as you mentioned, coming out of Davos from President Trump, is that he will not use force to acquire Greenland.

So that was a sigh of relief. That was a deep breath for investors this morning. But as you can see, markets are up. They're in the green that is

the reaction that we're seeing to that headline, the DOW up 447 points, S&P up 73 points, NASDAQ up almost 300 points. There was a real concern from

investors, even a remote concern that force could be used in President Trump's desire to take over Greenland with the fact that he just ratcheted

up the trade war.

If you remember announcing an initial 10 percent tariff on key European trading partners, eight of them starting February 1st. And then if they

continue to block his desire or acquisition of Greenland, that would ratchet up to 25 percent and you can see those countries right there, a lot

of them, obviously, probably all of them have representatives at Davos right now.

[11:15:00]

What we saw yesterday was the dollar weakening, a selloff in the bond market and then a rush, as you mentioned, for investors looking for safe

havens. So, you saw records in the gold and the silver market as a result of that volatility yesterday. It's a reminder that even though investors

have tried to put the trade war in their rear-view mirror and even put some of the comments that the president has made in the rear-view mirror.

These kinds of geopolitical changes and these kinds of threats over an escalating trade war are concerning for investors, but some I've spoken to

today said they're moving forward. They're going to try to look to earnings season, which is coming up from the Magnificent 7.

This is the Apple, Microsoft, Amazon. They believe that there will be a strong earning season, which they believe will boost markets once again.

But just such a clear reminder that as much as investors want to brush off what the president says, or the trade war in itself, there are clear

reminders that it's still a worry for many on Wall Street right now.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, it is. We'll continue to watch the markets. Vanessa Yurkevich, thank you.

ASHER: All right, still to come here we are live for you in new Greenland with a reaction to President Trump's speech at the World Economic Forum.

GOLODRYGA: Plus, Nigeria's Foreign Minister joins us from Davos. We'll take a closer look at issues facing Africa's largest economy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: Returning now to Davos, Switzerland, where President Donald Trump is calling for immediate negotiations on acquiring Greenland. The president's

insistence that the U.S. take over the Danish territory is dominating matters at the World Economic Forum. In his clearest statement yet, Trump

said he would not take the island by force.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: But now what I'm asking for is a piece of I.C.E., cold and poorly located, that can play a vital role in world peace and world protection.

It's a very small ask compared to what we have given them for many, many decades.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Europe's top officials underlining their determination not to be coerced by U.S. pressure. France is asking for a NATO exercise to be staged

in Greenland over the past week.

[11:20:00]

France and several other European countries deployed small numbers of military personnel to the island.

ASHER: All right, let's get right to new Greenland now, where we find CNN's Nic Robertson. So, I think obviously the headline there for the Danish

people and also Greenland, is, of course, the president reiterated multiple times in that speech that he's not going to try to take the island by

force.

First of all, what has been the reaction to that? I mean, it's only been an hour or so, Nic, but just in terms of anybody that you've spoken to, what

has been the reaction for that? But also, I mean, I think that it does beg the question, if Trump is not going to take the island by force.

Then from his calculation, will economic pressure be enough for the Europeans to cave in on Donald Trump's demand to force a sale of the

island.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, he's talking about wanting immediate negotiations. And everyone here was dialed in

listening to President Trump's speech in Davos. People knew that this was a critical moment, and they were listening for those moments that actually

did come the moment where he said, I'm only asking for a little thing, but I'm not going to take this island by force. So again, this was another way

that he framed it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We never asked for anything and we never got anything. We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force,

where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won't do that. OK. Now everyone is saying, oh, good. That's probably the biggest statement I made,

because people thought I would use force.

I don't have to use force. I don't want to use force. I won't use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: So, the people I've talked to here say, Well, that's all well and good hearing it from President Trump. But is he actually committed to

that? Can we actually trust him that he isn't going to use force? And of course, they say as well. Clearly that doesn't get to the core issue.

We don't want to be part of America, and is still intent on making Greenland part of America. So that whole other issue of Greenland being

annexed by America, apparently, by the soft way, that hasn't gone away. That remains a very real concern. Layer on to the top of that now the

concern about the language that President Trump was using there, belittling and berating the European leaders.

People in Greenland here say and tell us that they've been happy and relief that their European allies, that Denmark has got built their strong support

in NATO, the European Union, that nothing can happen to Greenland that damages its sovereignty, territorial integrity, without the people of

Greenland having a say.

And that's given them a real strong sense of support and a little bit of comfort. But of course, they hear the language that President Trump is now

using, using with the very people that he is indicating that he will wants to go into immediate negotiations with a very belittling language that

Europe can be nothing without the United States being strong.

So, there is a concern here, a concern that has existed before, but this concern will also remain, that a worry that will European leaders decide

that they just have to go along with President Trump somehow, some way, and relinquish Greenland? That remains a worry, but I think at the moment, that

there is comfort in what the European leaders are saying.

But President Trump has by no means removed this threat that Greenlanders will become Americans. He's just changing the way that he might do it. And

I don't think that they feel Greenlanders feel he's done it. He's changed tactics for them more change tactics to avoid the wrath of the

international financial markets.

ASHER: All right. Nic Robertson live for us there. Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Joining us now for more. CNN's Global Affairs Commentator and Former Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary, Sabrina Singh. Sabrina, it's good

to see you. So, the president, since 2019 has been making clear his desires for the U.S. to acquire Greenland.

But in terms of the U.S. budgeting and spending more resources on Arctic security, on our own pentagon and military assets there in the region, the

U.S. has been lagging for quite a while, and this has been criticism that experts have been directing at a number of previous administrations, the

Biden Administration and then the Trump Administration.

Before that, that in fact, it is our Nordic allies that have invested a lot more, and of course, Russia and China are investing as well.

[11:25:00]

So, help us square the president's demands and his logic and explanation for why Greenland needs the United States for national security, while the

United States hasn't actually been ponying up and investing as much as it should.

SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Yeah, I think there are a few things that can be true. We have, you know, sort of over the course of

different administrations, taken our eye off the ball on the Arctic, and we know that China and Russia have, you know, kept a pace there and expanded

their presence.

So, it, I think it's OK, and that this administration does want to refocus efforts on the Arctic region, but seizing Greenland. And you know, the

president did rule that out, that you would not seize Greenland through military action, but trying to get Europe to capitulate, and one of our

greatest NATO allies, one that has stood with us when we were attacked after 9/11 and since their own military with us in Iraq and Afghanistan.

That would also fracture the NATO alliance, and that is something that would severely weaken the United States in the Arctic region as well. We do

have access from this 1951 treaty that we can expand our presence within Greenland without purchasing Greenland itself.

I mean, we have 16 bases there, that have you know, been shuttered. We could reopen those that would be much more cost effective than essentially

buying Greenland, and of course, much more cost effective than taking it over with military force. So, I think it is fair that the United States and

this administration want to direct some efforts to protecting our national security interests in the Arctic, but we can do that within NATO.

And that's exactly what the NATO alliance is there for, for us to expand our presence and keep our attention on the ball there.

ASHER: And I want to sort of break down the sort of perceived threat that Donald Trump has about Russia in terms of Greenland, because one of the

things that he kept on saying is that we must secure Greenland. The U.S. must protect Greenland and obviously part of the main motivation is, of

course, the Golden Dome.

But he did reiterate this idea that it was the U.S. job to secure and protect Greenland. I mean, from what exactly I mean, they talk about Russia

having strategic interests, but there's no imminent threat from Russia at this point in time. Russia doesn't have the capacity or the ability or the

immediate incentive to launch any kind of an attack on Greenland and sustain it so.

And not to mention the fact that if it did, there would be consequences, just in terms of Article V and NATO. So just walk us through the logic, or

perhaps lack thereof, in terms of Trump's argument on that front.

SINGH: Yeah. I mean, we know that China and Russia have expanded their influence within the Arctic region, and that can be anything from cable

expansion to just ship presence. And so, NATO, and I think what you've seen from other NATO countries, they have also surge forces to the region to

show their prowess and to and to show that, you know, the NATO alliance is strong when it comes to Greenland.

And I think that is a presence of force, and that, you know, Russia and China should take seriously. But, you know, I think what this

administration is concerned about when it comes to our national security is the ever-growing presence of China and Russia. I mean, they're not on

Greenland themselves, but it's really their presence around in the Arctic, which we know is strategic for our own national security objectives.

But for all of this that we're talking about, this can all be achieved through our greatest defensive alliance, which is 32 countries strong. And

I think that's why, you know, particularly Americans are confused here at home, is why we are focused so much on acquiring Greenland, when that's not

going to make prices go down at the grocery stores here at home, that's not going to lower costs for families like housing.

And so that's why there's sort of this reckoning here at home of, what does this actually get Americans in the long term? And I think I don't know that

we have the answers to that, and that's why there's continued pressure from this administration of tell me how this is going to actually lower costs

for Americans?

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, I think the president was asked that at the White House yesterday. I think he avoided answering that specific question, but it's

one that a lot of Americans are asking right now. Sabrina Singh, thank you so much. And still to come for us. We'll talk to the Nigerian Foreign

Minister about pressing security concerns in his country, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:30:00]

ASHER: Right. Welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher.

GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: Right, the Head of the Christian Association of Nigeria says that more than 170 worshippers were kidnapped during church services in Northern

Kaduna State over the weekend. Police confirmed the abductions. Earlier this month, police say that at least 30 people also killed and several

others abducted when a market was attacked in Niger State.

GOLODRYGA: That happened days after President Trump ordered a deadly strike against Islamic State targets in Northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day. Trump

accuses the group of persecuting Christians, while Nigeria says both Christians and Muslims are killed in the attacks.

Now, all of this heightened by a deepening humanitarian crisis. The U.N. World Food Program Reports that thousands of people are now facing food

shortages in the northwest, amid U.S. aid cuts.

ASHER: And joining us live now from Davos is Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar. Minister, thank you so much for being with us. As I

just mentioned, the Head of the Christian Association of Nigeria and Kaduna did tell CNN that 177 people were kidnapped from a church, 9 of them having

been returned, leaving 168 at least for now, unaccounted for.

Obviously, as you know, I mean, this debate has raged on for many months. Some international observers will look at this and say, of course, it

points to more evidence that Christians are a religious minority in Nigeria that continue to be persecuted. But obviously a lot of experts, and as you

know, I am myself Nigerian too.

A lot of experts do realize that violence in Nigeria is certainly agnostic, meaning that you have Muslims who are targeted, you have Christians who are

targeted, still, regardless of the rationale and the reason behind certain groups being targeted. What concrete steps is the Nigerian government

taking at this point in time to ensure that the most vulnerable populations across Nigeria are safe and protected?

YUSUF MAITAMA TUGGAR, NIGERIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Thank you for having me. There have been so many steps that have been taken. One you've already

spoken of the partnership with the United States of America in targeting some of the band aids and terrorists in the hideouts.

[11:35:00]

And this is something that we have always called for that the Tinubu Administration has always called for partners to join with us, because we

have always been a regional anchor. So, it's a matter also of narratives. It's very important to see the conflict for what it is.

It's a regional conflict that has spilled over into Nigeria. It is not removed from the conflict in the Sahel. It's not removed from what happened

in Libya many years ago. It's not removed from the proliferation of weaponry, of fighters and climate change issues and so many other complex

issues.

So, it's important to look at it holistically and come up with a lasting solution, and that's what we're trying to do. And I think with regards to

narratives, it's also important to see Nigeria for what it is, a very diverse country that actually has not fared badly compared to countries

that are more homogeneous, that we have been living with each other in peace.

In spite of some of the fringe or even conflict areas in border areas, that yes now are cascading downwards, but very important to define it for what

it is, so that we can find the right solutions. We have forest guards. We have several other initiatives. In fact, we had done very well with the

fight against Boko Haram.

We were trying to sort out the thousands that had surrendered. Some were innocent, victims caught in conflict areas until the coup in Niger, and

Niger pulled out of the Multinational Joint Task Force that was working so well, because it allows for the right of pursuit. It allows for soldiers,

Nigerian soldiers, to pursue terrorists in Tunisia and vice versa.

GOLODRYGA: Mr. Foreign Minister. Thank you so much for joining us. Regarding the most recent abduction there of nearly 200 worshippers from

churches. There were initial conflicting reports where state officials were denying it, until ultimately, they were confirmed by the police.

This year marks Nigeria's first ever sovereign pavilion at Davos there at Nigeria house. How are you ensuring investors and world and business

leaders that you are meeting with there, that Nigeria is a place of stability when internal security reporting at times, as we've just noted,

is itself conflicting and at odds.

TUGGAR: We're urging potential investors to treat us the same way, to look at us the same way that they look at other countries. The fact that there

is an incident in a country of 923,000 square kilometers does not mean you write off the entire country, and some of the conversations that are taking

place here also have to do with Africa's risk bias, where the issue of risk, geopolitical risk, in particular, is overhyped when it comes to

Africa, which doesn't apply in other parts of the world.

So, it's very important, we look at the progress that the Tinubu Administration has been making with macro-economic reforms, with the tax

reforms that makes it easier for investors to come into Nigeria, lowering of corporate income tax, reform of the foreign exchange.

We can actually come to Davos and use our Nigerian cards here, credit cards without a limit, 43 billion in foreign reserves. I can go on and on and on,

our sovereign bonds, our treasury bills with a yield of 8 to 10 percent. So let us look at Nigeria holistically, not let us not continue to dwell on

some of these isolated incidents and define the entire country by it.

And it's also important to note that sometimes when we dwell on some of these incidents, what, sorry, when we don't frame the narrative correctly,

we actually trigger some of these incidents, because that's when some of the band aids and the terrorists try to go for innocent civilians, and you

try to use them as human shields, because they know they're going to be targeted.

So, the rhetoric and the way and manner we speak about these things is very, very important in a multicultural, multi religious setting like

Nigeria.

[11:40:00]

ASHER: And minister, you talked about some of the concrete steps that Nigeria is taking in order to boost security. I mean, I have family in

Nigeria, and this is a top issue for everyone I love who is based in the country right now. You mentioned the partnership with the United States,

just in terms of that airstrike that we saw on Christmas Day.

Can you be more transparent with us? This is one of the complaints that I've heard from a lot of people within the country. Just a bit more

transparent about the actual result of that particular airstrike. We were told time and time again by the Nigerian government that there were no

civilians who were hurt or killed during that air strike.

But what can you tell us about the number of terrorists specifically that were targeted and killed, I should say, as a result of this partnership

with the United States?

TUGGAR: I may be wearing a black anorak, but I'm always transparent. I promise you. See, this is an operational matter. I am Minister of Foreign

Affairs, and I think these questions are best answered by those in charge of our military, those in charge of our security. But suffice it to say

that there were specific targets that were hit.

And you know, as is the case with some of these strikes, sometimes, you know you don't get the right target, but it underscores the willingness of

Nigeria and the United States and indeed other countries towards a better understanding of the conflict in the region and to work together towards

bringing it to an end, because it is a conflict that affects the entire planet.

The West African region and the Sahel and Lake Chad regions in particular are among the fastest growing regions in the world. Nigeria is going to be

400 million in the next 24 years. The African continent is going to be the most populous, I guess. And it's important that we nip these conflicts at

the bud, so that they don't spill over into other continents.

So that the Sahel does not become a breeding ground for terrorism, for extremism, for all sorts of criminal activity.

And regionally, we're doing a lot. It's Nigeria that is shouldering a lot of responsibilities. In a month, if you look at the work that we've done,

intervening in Republic of Benin, where there was a coup attempt, providing shelter for an opposition leader after an election and a coup in Guinea-

Bissau, it's a lot of responsibilities, and we need the support.

We need to be supported with the equipment. We need to be supported with the training. And more importantly, we need to be supported with the

understanding and the right framing to what is happening in our region and what is happening in the country.

ASHER: Minister, unfortunately, we are out of time. I have my producers telling me that in my ear that we are out of time. But I would love to have

you back on to expand on some of these points, particularly your point on this idea that sometimes you don't get the right target again, I would

appreciate more transparency from the Nigerian government about what you meant by that.

But also, I think equally, what actually was struck and what we know about the number of terrorists that were killed in that strike on Christmas Day.

Minister, we have to leave it there. Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, thank you so much. We right back after the short break with more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:45:00]

ASHER: All right. Moments ago, President Donald Trump met with Egypt's President Al-Sisi on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos,

and he took questions from the press about his Gaza board of peace. Let's listen to what was said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: Thank you everybody. Thank you --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- committed to being permanent members of the --

TRUMP: Well, we're going to have a lot, we have a lot of great people that want to join. It's going to be the most prestigious board ever formed. The

president is a member. We have major countries and some need parliamentary approval, but for the most part, everybody wants to be on.

I have a little bit of the opposite problem. People want to be on, and we didn't ask them. They want to get on. But we'll look at the country. So,

we're going to have -- I think it's the greatest board ever formed, and we call it the board of peace. That's what it is. It's a board of peace, and

it started on Gaza.

And I appreciate what you said on Gaza, because it's true. If we weren't involved, there'd be no peace. It's peace. We have peace in the Middle East

now, and you might have Hamas. We have a little flame here and there, but basically that'll be taken out if they don't get rid of the guns.

And they'll be then they will be very unhappy. People have no choice. They will be eliminated. They made a deal to get out. You have Hezbollah in

Lebanon. We have to do something there. They're causing a lot of problems, but those are small. We actually have peace in the Middle East, and the

president was very instrumental.

He really helped us one of the most. And we've had great help from a number of countries, but Egypt has been great. The president has been great, and

we have peace in the Middle East. It's an amazing thing. Nobody thought we'd ever see that. Now, I would say if we didn't bomb the Iran nuclear

plant, they would have had a nuclear weapon within two months, you would not have peace in the Middle East.

You wouldn't be able to nobody would be able to do that. But that's what gave us peace in the Middle East. Thank you very much everyone --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- Thank you everyone. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- military off the table for Greenland.

TRUMP: -- The military -- I don't think it will be necessary -- I think people are going to use better judgment, use their best judgment, and I

don't think that will not be necessary.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: All right, let's bring in CNN's Kylie Atwood for more on this. Specifically, Kylie as it relates to this board of peace, as the president

was sitting there with Egyptian President Sisi, and invitations were sent to capitals around the world. It's sort of a who's who, and as the

president noted, there are more asking why they weren't invited as well.

Eyebrows raised by some of these names, including President Lukashenko of Belarus and President Putin of Russia, as well as President Zelenskyy. Can

you talk about the purpose of this board of peace and what many are suggesting could be just the start of the president's attempt to usurp the

power given to the U.N. and replace it with this board of peace.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the major concern right now.

[11:50:00]

So as the idea was set out, this board of peace was an intention to help drive a resolution to the conflict in Gaza and reconstruction there all of

the pieces that need to actually follow on in order to drive a solution there. As the charter for this board evolved, it became clear to those

countries who received it with their invitation late last week that this was a board that wasn't just about Gaza.

The charter doesn't mention Gaza at all. It actually makes very clear that this is a board that is set out to try and, you know, accomplish peaceful

resolutions around the world, globally. And so, there were concerns that this was a board trying to replace the United Nations.

Now, President Trump did not say that those concerns are without reason when he spoke from the White House, yesterday before heading to Davos,

because he did say that this might replace the United Nations. And he effectively said that the United Nations, in his eyes, really hasn't lived

up to its potential.

So, we'll have to watch and see which countries actually do end up joining this board. Multiple countries have already said yes, the UAE, Bahrain we

heard from Egyptian President Al-Sisi, right there meeting with President Trump, that Egypt will be joining.

But we also have heard from France that they are not going to be joining, and other countries appear poised to also not join. We did hear from

President Trump earlier, however, on a critical piece of phase two of this Gaza peace plan that the Trump Administration has led, and that comes to

disarming Hamas. He said that that is going to have, have to happen in the next few months.

I believe that is the first time line he has given for when Hamas would have to disarm. Let's just listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We have peace in the Middle East. There are some little situations like Hamas, and Hamas has agreed to give up their weapons. Now, you know,

they were born with a weapon in their hand, so it's not easy to do. When they were born, they were born with a rifle in their hand.

It's not an easy thing for them, but they that's what they agreed to. They've got to do it, and we're going to know Jared over the next two or

three days, certainly over the next three weeks, whether or not they're going to do it. If they don't do it, they're going to have they'll be blown

away very quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ATWOOD: Now, the other significant part of this board of peace that I think we should point out is that the charter says that President Trump is going

to be the chairman indefinitely. Effectively, that means that he could be overseeing this board beyond the next two years of his second term as

presidency.

That could effectively make him a really critical player in this region beyond his time as U.S. President. We'll have to watch and see, of course,

where this board goes, how effective it actually turns out to be, but this is putting him as a central player here for the foreseeable future, if this

board ends up being one that is really a key player in the region.

Of course, the Trump Administration pushing for that across the board globally right now.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Kylie Atwood in Washington, so good to see you. Thank you so much. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:55:00]

GOLODRYGA: And finally, this hour, a stunning view of the Northern Lights from space. A Russian -- look at that, a Russian cosmonaut on the

International Space Station shot this view of the aurora borealis shimmering over planet Earth.

ASHER: The light show has been especially vivid in the past few days, thanks to one of the most powerful solar storms to reach the planet in the

last 20 years. We could watch that for hours.

GOLODRYGA: Right. We -- have a lot of news to still report. Stay with us. We'll have more "One World" after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END