The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated this Tuesday that the "top priority" of the European Union is to quickly establish relations with the new administration of the United States to seek common interests and negotiate,

The European Union is keen to partner with countries around the world and is "open for business," European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday.

Trump's second presidency dominated proceedings at the World Economic Forum amid ominous warnings over the looming threat of trade tariffs and his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement.

Officials and business executives at the annual gathering in Switzerland said the fight against global climate change would continue with or without the United States.

The European Commission wants to dissuade innovative start-up firms from moving to the U.S. to grow by creating rules that would allow them to easily operate across the 27-nation European Union, the head of the Commission said on Tuesday.

The Commission informed journalists on Jan. 3 that von der Leyen was suffering from “severe” pneumonia, but did not disclose that she had been hospitalized, even after direct questioning. German newswire DPA broke the news on Jan. 10, which is the same day von der Leyen left hospital, according to Pinho.

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy asked whether the US saw NATO as being necessary as he addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos. Leaders from China, Ukraine and Germany have taken the stage on day one.

As the Commission struggles to find new outlets for its exports, the question of whether this will be enough in the face of the tariffs Donald Trump is threatening to impose remains open. #EuropeNews

Speaking in Davos, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy questioned whether Trump was committed to NATO and European security.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 16th, 2024. The World Economic Forum officially began on Monday, but it's Tuesday when the event really kicks off.

Various European leaders reacted to President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement saying that they will stick to the landmark Paris climate agreement even though the United States has w

Von der Leyen insisted that the United States remains an important partner, taking a conciliatory tone in a speech to the annual meeting of global elites in Davos, Switzerland. The EU's "first priority will be to engage early, discuss common interests, and be ready to negotiate" with Trump, she said.