President Donald Trump is set to return to the World Economic Forum with the largest U.S. delegation ever, as political and business leaders assess how his protectionist agenda collides with Davos’ traditional emphasis on global cooperation.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
World leaders and corporate executives gathering next week at the World Economic Forum in Davos are bracing for a forceful reaffirmation of President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, as uncertainty grows over how his approach to trade, alliances and multilateral institutions will reshape the global order.
Trump is scheduled to address the annual meeting Wednesday in the Swiss resort town, appearing in person for the first time since his initial term. The forum’s theme this year, “A Spirit of Dialogue,” underscores the challenge facing participants as they attempt to reconcile Trump’s nationalist economic policies with Davos’ long-standing advocacy of open markets and multilateralism.
“We’re pleased to welcome back President Trump,” World Economic Forum chief executive Borge Brende said during a pre-summit press conference, noting that Trump will arrive with the largest U.S. delegation the forum has ever hosted. Brende said the size of the delegation reflects the importance Washington places on discussions expected to range from Ukraine and Gaza to Iran, Venezuela and Greenland.
“The interest is to come together at the beginning of the year to try to connect the dots, decipher, and also see areas where we can collaborate,” Brende said. “Dialogue is not a luxury. Dialogue is really a necessity.”
According to an AFP report, those efforts will unfold against what Brende described as the most complex geopolitical environment since 1945. Since his re-election, Trump has pursued an aggressive tariff strategy and shown open skepticism toward traditional U.S. allies and international institutions, moves that have unsettled many governments and markets.
Karen Harris, an economist at consulting firm Bain & Co., said the coming year could mark a turning point in global economic history. “2025 will ultimately be seen as the year in which neoliberal globalisation ended and the post-globalisation era began,” she said. Harris argued that Washington is increasingly treating the economy as a tool of national security, prioritizing domestic resilience over global integration, an approach she noted closely resembles China’s economic strategy.
China will be represented in Davos by Vice Premier He Lifeng, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are also expected to attend. Six of the Group of Seven leaders are slated to appear, with Japan the only member not represented.
Brende said Trump’s delegation will include several senior cabinet officials, among them Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as well as Steve Witkoff, the president’s special envoy for the Middle East and Ukraine.
Trump’s return to Davos follows a year of dramatic policy shifts. In a video address to the forum shortly after his second inauguration, he warned countries to move manufacturing to the United States or face steep tariffs, signaling a clear break from decades of trade liberalization. Earlier this month, his administration withdrew the United States from 66 international organizations, including roughly half of those affiliated with the United Nations.
Philippe Dauba-Pantanacce, head of geopolitical analysis at Standard Chartered, said the moves represent a fundamental rejection of multilateral institutions. He described the strategy as viewing international relations as a zero-sum competition in which cooperation is seen as incompatible with winning. Even if global trade adapts to U.S. tariffs, he warned, the result could be a more fragmented system that increasingly operates without American leadership.
Recent developments highlight that shift. The European Union finalized a trade agreement with Mercosur nations in South America, while China has redirected exports away from the U.S. toward other markets. Pascal Lamy, former director-general of the World Trade Organization, told AFP that while Trump has generated significant disruption in trade rhetoric, the economic impact has so far been more limited than his actions on geopolitical issues such as Ukraine, Iran and China.
Despite the uncertainty, corporate attendance remains strong. Roughly 850 chief executives and board chairs are expected, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, underscoring Davos’ continued role as a key forum for global economic dialogue—even as the assumptions that once underpinned it are increasingly questioned.
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