Key events
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Catch up on Trump’s comments on European issues
If you slept soundly through the night, as I hope you didhere’s all you need to know to catch up on events in the US.
Here’s our first take on Trump’s inauguration.
The United States was launched on a fresh course of disruption and division on Monday as Donald Trump was sworn in as its 47th president, promising a blitz of executive orders, a radical shake-up of the global order and a “golden age of America”.
Read it here:
… and here are some of the key quotes from Trump on topics of particular importance to Europe:
On Ukraine and Russia: “He [Russia’s Vladimir Putin] should make a deal. I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal. … I think Russia’s going to be in big trouble. … I got along with him great, I would hope he wants to make a deal.”
“He can’t be thrilled he’s not doing so well. I mean, he’s grinding it out, but most people thought that war would have been over in about one week, and now you’re into three years, right?”
On the Paris climate agreement: “I’m immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris Climate Accord rip-off. … The United States will not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity.”
Under the accord’s rules, the United States will formally exit in one year.
-On Greenland: “Greenland is a wonderful place. We need it for international security. I’m sure that Denmark will come along. It’s costing them a lot of money to maintain it, to keep it. The people of Greenland are not happy with Denmark, as you know. I think they are happy with us. … We will see what happens. It’s necessary, not for us, but for international security. You have Russian boats, China boats all over the place, warships. They can’t maintain it.”
Opening summary
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, 21 January 2025. Donald J. Trump is the US President, and the world is still spinning. I checked.
European leaders were busy last night sending carbon copy messages of congratulationshailing the “longstanding,” “special” and “strategic” relationship their country (and only their country, of course) have with the US, and their personal connection with the new US president. If you read one of them, you read them all.
Some even posted pictures from their previous meetings with Trump to make it look as if they met in Washington last night (I see you Giorgia Meloni.)
But one well-wisher inadvertently said the quiet part out loud.
Szymon Hołowniathe speaker of the Polish parliament, made some effort to write a social media post in English: “Welcome President Trump. We are ready to cooperate, discuss and do business together.”
But then, in Polish, he wearily added: “And may God watch over us all.”
Welcome to our live coverage of European politics. It’s Jakub Krupa here.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at [email protected]. I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
