Did President Biden give Ukraine $350 billion?published at 14:54 GMT 21 January

14:54 GMT 21 January

By Rupert Carey

During his address, Trump said "Biden gave $350bn to Ukraine" when speaking about support for their war against Russia.

He’s made similar claims previously - but BBC Verify has found no evidence for this figure.

The Kiel Institute, a German-based think tank which tracks defence spending, has put the total amount of support the US government has given, external to Ukraine at $119bn (£88.5bn) from January 2022 up until October 2025.

Former president Joe Biden was in office from January 2021 until January 2025.

The US Department of Defense has also done a calculation which looks at a broader range of US military activity in Europe and includes replenishing defence stocks.

Its figure was $182.8bn (£136bn) when Trump came into office - considerably less than the figure the president has mentioned.

Natalie Sherman
New York business reporter

Trump’s description of how the US economy is doing will sound familiar to anyone who has been listening to the US president over the past year.

But does it match reality?

Trump’s claims often contain some truth – while being significantly exaggerated.

Take growth, which he said has been "extraordinarily high".

Growth in the US has been stronger than many analysts expected, coming in at an annual pace of 4.3% over the three quarters to September.

But that’s not unprecedented – the US had stronger growth during the same period in 2023. And the figures have been jumpy due in part to sharp swings in trade.

He says "inflation is defeated" – and again, not quite.

Overall, consumer prices jumped 2.7% over the 12 months to December. That’s down from 3% a year ago, when Trump took office, but still above the Fed’s 2% target.

He’s also boasting about investment. Some companies have increased production plans in the US, but there are plenty of reasons to be sceptical about the claims.

More now from Trump on tariffs, as he says he imposed them on different countries with large economic deficits.

"You're all party to them, in some cases victim to them but in the end it's a fair thing and most of you realise that," he says.

In some cases, such as in Switzerland, Trump says he initially imposed a 30% tariff before reducing this, because he doesn't want to hurt people.

He says that the "US is keeping the whole world afloat" and it should be paying the lowest interest rate of any countries.

Image source, Reuters

Trump turns to the cost of prescription drugs in the US coming down.

On tariffs, he says he used them to get favoured nations treatment for drug prices.

He says he did it to secure access to goods without having to pay 13,14,15 times more than certain other countries.

He recounts a conversation he had with French President Emmanuel Macron - and how he threatened to put up tariffs on French goods unless Macron agreed to Trump's demands on drug prices.

He says the US is not going to subsidise the whole world.

We'll pay whatever the lowest price is around the whole world, he says.

He says because of this, drug prices are going to come down everywhere.

"Without tariffs I wouldn’t have been able to get it done."

Michelle Fleury
New York business correspondent

US markets rebounded after President Trump told the World Economic Forum he would not use force to acquire Greenland, easing market fears.

Shortly after the opening bell, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average both rose around 0.3%, and the Nasdaq also made modest gains. Treasury yields fell as prices rose, while the dollar pared losses.

Investors were cheered by this comment from the President: "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."

Stocks had sold off sharply Tuesday amid Greenland-related tensions and tariff threats.

Has Trump ended eight wars?published at 14:44 GMT 21 January

14:44 GMT 21 January

By Tamara Kovacevic

President Trump has just repeated his familiar and questionable claim to have "ended eight wars".

BBC Verify has examined this claim in detail before.

The eight wars, according to the White House, are ones between:

• Israel and Hamas
• Israel and Iran
• Pakistan and India
• Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
• Thailand and Cambodia
• Armenia and Azerbaijan
• Egypt and Ethiopia
• Serbia and Kosovo

A number of these "wars" had lasted just days, although were the result of long-standing tensions.

In one case, the "war" between Egypt and Ethiopia was a dispute over the building of a dam and there was no actual fighting to end.

There has also been fighting between Rwanda and the DRC, despite the two sides signing a peace agreement in Washington.

You can read our full analysis here.

Trump wrong about China's wind farmspublished at 14:40 GMT 21 January

14:40 GMT 21 January

By Anthony Reuben

Earlier in his Davos speech, President Trump criticised wind power, saying that China makes lots of wind turbines, "yet I haven't been able to find any windfarms in China".

That is not correct.

One of the largest wind farms in the world is in Gansu in China.

China generates more wind energy than any other country, according to Our World in Data, external.

Its statistics show that in 2024 China generated 997 terawatt-hours from wind.

That’s more than double the generation of the country in second place - the US - which generated 452 terawatt-hours.

President Trump has been addressing world leaders now for over an hour, making him about 20 minutes over his allotted time.

After beginning by marking his own achievements in office, much of it has focused on his desire to acquire Greenland.

We'll continue to bring you the latest updates from his speech, as well as analysis.

Our next post will be from BBC Verify, who have analysed Trump's claims on China's wind farms.

Trump is repeating his view that acquiring Greenland is vital to US national security.

In the past, he has claimed without evidence that the territory is "covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place".

Its location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks, and for monitoring vessels in the region.

But it's worth noting that under existing agreements with Denmark, the US has the power to bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland.

It already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base in Greenland's north-western tip - a facility that has been operated by the US since World War Two.

And Denmark and Greenland, after a recent visit to Washington for talks, signalled an openness to more US troops being stationed on the territory in future.

Trump smashes Europe's hope for sting to be removed from Greenland crisispublished at 14:37 GMT 21 January

14:37 GMT 21 January

Nick Beake
Europe Correspondent

Any hope in Europe that President Trump would take the sting out of the Greenland crisis was smashed as he launched into a ferocious argument for taking the island.

He ignored the Europeans’ insistence that it is not for sale and framed its acquisition as a perfectly reasonable transaction in light of the military support the US had given the continent for decades.

There will be relief that Trump has now promised not to use military force to take Greenland.

But the threat of new tariffs seems not to have gone away.

Trump’s message that Europe is on a road to ruin is not a new one.

However, it may land differently now that it’s been delivered on European soil and in the heat of the increasingly acrimonious Greenland row.

He blames unchecked mass migration and foreign imports for a downward spiral.

Nonetheless, he says he wants Europe to "do great" and be strong.

He says he cares for its people and speaks of his Scottish and German roots.

But for his audience, this is an angry speech – at times insulting and inaccurate – and distinctly lacking in the familial warmth he professes to hold for Europe.

Trump brushes past Nato's post-9/11 contributionspublished at 14:33 GMT 21 January

14:33 GMT 21 January

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

Trump's claim that the US has gotten "nothing" from Nato apart from its role during the Cold War is misleading.

After the US was attacked on 11 September, Nato invoked Article 5 - meaning that an attack on one member is considered an attack on another - which triggered large-scale support, including airborne warning and surveillance patrols over the US.

This marked the first time that Nato military assets were used following the invocation of Article 5.

Additionally, multiple Nato countries - including Germany, France, Italy and the UK - contributed troops to the Nato-run International Assistance and Stabilisation Force, or ISAF, in Afghanistan.

Among the countries that contributed was Denmark, which suffered among the highest per capita casualty rate of the US allies. They were largely deployed to heavily contested areas alongside British forces in Helmand province.

Trump dismisses suggestions that a takeover of Greenland would be a hit to Nato.

The US is treated very unfairly by Nato, he says, adding: "We give so much and we get so little in return."

"You wouldn't have Nato if I didn’t get involved," he says.

"They don't appreciate what we do. I'm talking about Nato and Europe."

• You can read more about Nato's relationship with the US, including after the 9/11 attacks, in our next post

Image source, Reuters

President Trump is still talking about why he thinks the US should acquire Greenland, and tells world leaders that Greenland has a choice.

"You can say yes, and we'll be very appreciative, or you can say no and we will remember," he says.

"A strong and secure America means a strong Nato," he adds.

Trump now turns his attention to the war in Ukraine, saying Nato is going to help stop it.

"They've got to get that war stopped because too many people are dying, needlessly dying," he says, adding that Putin and Zelensky want to make a deal.

Trump says he will be helping Europe and Nato in doing so, he said, and all he's asking for is a "piece of ice", appearing to refer to Greenland.

He calls it a small request compared to what the US has given to Nato.

He says the US will be there for Nato 100%, but is unsure if allies will return the favour.

Did Europe just hear the reassurance it was after on Greenland?published at 14:23 GMT 21 January

14:23 GMT 21 January

Gary O'Donoghue
Chief North America correspondent

President Trump just mused in his speech about the possibility of using what he described as "excessive strength and force".

"I won't do that," he tells the room.

Earlier in the speech, the president had said he was "seeking immediate negotiations” to acquire the semi-autonomous territory.

This is as close as he's come to indicating his limits on action – now everyone will be seeking clear assurances that he means it.

• You can watch Trump's speech live at the top of the page - or see clips in our carousel

A twist in Trump's pitch for why US should acquire Greenlandpublished at 14:18 GMT 21 January

14:18 GMT 21 January

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

Donald Trump has made his pitch to the Davos audience for why the US should acquire Greenland.

Some, such as his national security concerns and its location in America’s Western Hemisphere sphere of influence, were familiar.

The new twist, however, was his assertion that the US had control of – and a claim to - the island because of its efforts to defend the territory during World War Two after Denmark was invaded by Germany.

"We already had it, but we returned it to Denmark after World War Two," he said.

The US "should have kept it," he said.

• We'll have a post later on Greenland's status during World War Two

Trump now turns to Nato, who he says has been investing more in defences.

He adds: "We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive force, we'd be unstoppable, but we won't do that."

He insists: "I don't have to use force, I don't want to use force, I won't use force."

All the US is asking for, he then says, is "a place called Greenland".

Image source, Reuters

Trump says American presidents have sought to buy Greenland for nearly two centuries.

The president says there's "no sign" of Denmark on the island, and that Denmark is spending less money than promised on Greenland.

"It's the US alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice, develop it and improve it," he says.

This, he says, is why he's seeking "immediate negotiations" to acquire the country.

"I'm seeking immediate negotiations to acquire Greenland," Trump says.

We'll bring you more on this shortly, stay with us.

Trump continues speaking about Greenland, he calls the country a "vast, almost uninhabited and undeveloped country, sitting undefended".

He says there is "no such thing as rare earth materials in Greenland. What matters is it's strategic national security and international security".

• As a reminder, the US already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base in Greenland's north-west - a facility it has operated since World War Two. Under existing agreements with Denmark, the US has the power to bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland.