Germany's Merz to skip Trump's 'Board of Peace' signing ceremony

BERLIN

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will not attend the signing ceremony for US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" initiative, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.

Merz will leave the World Economic Forum following his Thursday morning address, deputy government spokesman Steffen Meyer announced at a Berlin press conference.

"The chancellor will depart Davos immediately after his Thursday morning speech to attend preliminary talks in Brussels," he said. "That means the chancellor will have already left by the time of the ceremony."

Chancellor Merz is scheduled to attend the informal summit of EU leaders in Brussels to discuss tensions with the US over Greenland and President Trump's threats to impose tariffs on countries that oppose his plan to take control of the mineral-rich island.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US must acquire Greenland for national security reasons and to deter rivals such as China and Russia in the Arctic. He has also threatened tariffs on European allies who oppose US control of Greenland and sent a small number of troops to the territory.

Both Denmark and Greenland -- a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark -- have rejected any proposal to sell the territory, reaffirming Danish sovereignty over the island.