From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Trump releases conversations with Macron, Rutte praising him on Syria, offering to find solution on Greenland
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
US President Donald Trump posts on his Truth Social app screen grabs of recent text conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Iran, Greenland and Syria.
Rutte tells Trump, “What you accomplished today in Syria is incredible,” likely referring to a rather precarious ceasefire signed between the Ahmed Al-Sharaa government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Sunday.
Rutte promises Trump that he will highlight to the press at the World Economic Forum in Davos “your work there, in Gaza, and in Ukraine.”
The Dutch politician also tells Trump that he is “committed to finding a way forward on Greenland,” the Danish territory that the US president says he is planning to take control of.
Macron tells Trump in a text that they “are totally in line on Syria.”
He also says that “we can do great things on Iran,” without elaborating.
Turning to Greenland, Macron says he does not understand what Trump is trying to do with his focus on the island.
Macron offers a diplomatic initiative, in which he would gather the G7 leaders in Paris with the Ukrainians, Danish, Syrians, and Russians on the sidelines. He also invites Trump to dinner in Paris before the president returns to the US.
The Times of Israel Community.