W hat did Donald Trump say over the phone to Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, on Wednesday? I don’t know which precise words he used, but I witnessed their impact.

Most Asian markets rose Monday following a rally on Wall Street and record-breaking day in Europe, with sentiment boosted by positive talks between Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping that soothed worries about the incoming US leader's second term.

From the future of Ukraine to the potential impact of tariffs on Europe - our correspondents explain how the second Trump presidency might affect their area of expertise.

Europe’s generous welfare states are coming under increasing strain as weak economic growth collides with rising demands on government budgets, particularly from aging populations.

U.S. duties could nudge the European Union toward protectionist measures and away from free trade.

European nations will struggle to pick up the pieces if Donald Trump reduces US support for Ukraine - while the incoming president may also favour leaders who follow his own playbook.

"The terrorists get a vote, and they're voting to keep fighting," former Trump counterterrorism envoy Nathan Sales told Newsweek.

(AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File) President-elect Donald Trump poses for a photo with Dana White ... backing far-right political parties and attacking leftwing politicians in Europe. Elon Musk speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President ...

Among the issues likely to be explored at the World Economic Forum this week is the future of Ukraine and its impact on Europe.

President-elect Donald Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and conservative world leaders such as Argentine President Javier Milei and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni to the inauguration. Xi is sending his vice president as his representative.

Donald Trump will be inaugurated as President of the United States for the second time on Monday. As in his first term from 2017 to 2021, he has promised to make America “great again”. This time he can count on Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress. The media discuss what this portends for the US and the rest of the world.