The champagne is still flowing in the Swiss Alps, but the mood at the World Economic Forum (WEF) is anything but celebratory. As the global elite gather for their annual pilgrimage, the shadow of Donald Trump looms larger than the mountains themselves, signaling the end of the old world order.

This year’s Davos feels less like a forum for cooperation and more like a wake for globalization. With wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East, and trade wars brewing across the Atlantic, the "Greenland Mode"—a term coined by Volodymyr Zelenskyy to describe Europe’s passive waiting for US leadership—has become the defining sentiment.

The Trump Effect

Even in his absence from some panels, Trump is the uninvited guest at every table. His threats to upend global trade and withdraw from security pacts have forced European leaders to confront a terrifying reality: they may soon be on their own. "We are seeing the erosion of old certainties," noted Heather Stewart, the Guardian’s economics editor, from the jam-packed promenade.

• Zelenskyy’s Fury: The Ukrainian President delivered a blistering critique of Western hesitation, accusing leaders of paralysis while Kyiv burns. His plea for urgency was met with polite applause but little concrete action.
• The Business of Survival: CEOs are no longer talking about "growth at all costs." The buzzwords this year are "resilience," "fragmentation," and "hedging." The roads in Davos are jammed, but the roadmap for the future is missing.

A World Adrift

From the "Greenland" insults to the rise of AI-driven disinformation, the 2026 summit reveals a fractured planet. The liberal democratic consensus that birthed Davos is dying, replaced by a raw, transactional realpolitik.

As the private jets depart this weekend, they leave behind a world more dangerous and divided than ever. The message from the mountain is chilling: Winter is not coming; it is already here.