TRIGGERnometry Podcast Summary

Episode: Davos Breakdown with Presidential Advisor Dr. Pippa Malmgren
Release Date: January 22, 2026
Hosts: Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster
Guest: Dr. Pippa Malmgren (Presidential Advisor, geopolitical expert)

Episode Overview

This special live episode breaks down the geopolitics dominating Davos 2026 and the unexpected spotlight on Greenland. Dr. Pippa Malmgren, veteran advisor to US presidents and expert on global strategy, provides deep analysis on why Greenland matters, America’s evolving foreign policy, the war in Ukraine, the global energy crisis, the future of the rules-based international order, and the shifting global alliances between the US, Europe, Russia, and China. The conversation highlights tensions between power and ideology and urges a closer look at the “space race” and the Arctic as new fronts in global strategy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why is Greenland Suddenly Strategic?

[02:29-08:52]

• The US has revived its interest in Greenland as a military, energy, and data node in light of rising global instability, especially regarding NATO, Russia, and the war in Ukraine.
• Under a 1951 treaty, the US can act militarily in Greenland, which is part of Denmark but seeks independence.
• Ukraine’s importance:
  • US aims to end Ukraine war; both Russia and Ukraine express openness to an agreement, but some European states are not aligned.
  • Greenland’s importance rises in a scenario where conflict with Russia threatens to escalate, as it provides a strategic point for monitoring nuclear threats coming through the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) Gap.
• The Arctic is now central to the new “space race,” especially for:
  1. Unlimited energy: e.g., space-based solar power and Helium-3 mining for nuclear fusion.
  2. Resources: e.g., asteroid mining.
  3. Global connectivity: Points like Svalbard (and potentially Greenland) are crucial “umbilical cords” for internet links between space and Earth (notably, the 2022 cable cuts highlighted these vulnerabilities).

Memorable Quote:
“Greenland … is strategic, security wise, aligned with the United States … It becomes critically important because where would Russian nuclear weapons … come through towards the United States? … through this space known as the Juke Gap, the Greenland, Iceland, UK Gap.”
— Dr. Pippa Malmgren [03:32]

2. Davos Shifts: From Rules-Based Order to Sovereignty and Power

[08:52-13:25]

• Davos 2026 saw leading political and financial figures publicly questioning the old system of globalization.
• Trump’s rhetoric—once fringe—is now echoed by establishment figures (e.g., Mark Carney advocating sovereign energy and defense).
• The shift is framed as a struggle between the “priests” (old order/globalization ideologues) and “power” (sovereigntists/populists).

Notable Quote:
“I think it's fundamentally a fight between priests and power... The old globalization meant all the jobs went to China ... Now... the West is competitive again. But almost no one in the priesthood ... has been in favor of that.”
— Dr. Pippa Malmgren [11:32]

3. Trump at Davos: Star Wars vs. Star Trek

[13:25-20:23]

• Trump shocked expectations by adopting a conciliatory tone toward Europe, emphasizing shared history and proposing peace/abundance as alternatives to perpetual conflict.
• Analogy:
  • “Star Wars” = fighting people (wars on land).
  • “Star Trek” = fighting problems (science, technology, abundance).
• Ukraine is dubbed the first “space war,” reshaped by technologies like Starlink.
• The US is proposing to open national laboratories for public technological benefit (the Genesis Mission) as a route to shared prosperity.

Memorable Moment:
“Superpowers are basically saying … One we can call Star Wars, and one we can call Star Trek. Star Wars is where we go to war with other human beings. ... Star Trek is where we go to war with problems.”
— Dr. Pippa Malmgren [14:31]

4. European Anxiety and the “Green New Scam”

[19:59-22:30]

• Trump delivered tough criticism, particularly targeting Europe’s energy policies, referencing “civilizational decline.”
• Speculation before Davos included fears of a US military build-up in Greenland, which did not materialize.

Memorable Moment:
“There was a report that the 11th Airborne ... was gathering in Minnesota, and there was speculation they were going to be flown to Greenland ... The fear was that something like that might happen.”
— Dr. Pippa Malmgren [20:30]

5. Critiques of Trump’s Motives: Power Grab or Peace Broker?

[22:30-27:14]

• Host challenges Dr. Malmgren: Is Trump like Putin/Xi—using this moment to maximize US advantage while rules are dissolving?
• Malmgren counters that US actions (e.g., in Venezuela or Gaza) show sophistication—using leverage and offering reconstruction, not merely regime change.

Notable Exchange:
“Is it that America’s doing what you say … or is it that America’s doing the Marshall Plan again?”
— Dr. Pippa Malmgren [24:51]

6. Europe at a Crossroads: Double Down or Rethink?

[27:14-30:52]

• Europe may either double down on current policies (e.g., suppressing criticism, digital “iron curtain”), or subtly shift, without admitting past mistakes.
• Shift in political values—from left/right to forward/backward, from ideology to problem-solving and pragmatic alliances.

Notable Quote:
“I actually don’t even think left and right are helpful any longer. What's more important is to ask is your direction of travel forward or backward?”
— Dr. Pippa Malmgren [29:24]

7. Transatlantic Allies: Tension and Conditionality

[30:52-36:03]

• Trump’s argument: America does much for Europe but doubts reciprocity.
• US public sentiment is weary of alliances perceived as one-sided.
• The Ukraine war’s origins and maintenance are receiving new scrutiny as classified materials are opened up.
• The strategic importance of Taiwan is declining for the US as chip production relocates to US soil.

Notable Quote:
“He’s capturing a sentiment that does exist in the US ... We do all of this. What do we get from you? ... If something happens to us, can we rely on you?”
— Dr. Pippa Malmgren [31:15]

8. The Greenland Deal: Facts & Negotiation

[36:03-39:21]

• Despite media hype, no dramatic new Greenland deal has been struck.
• Greenland remains adamant about maintaining sovereignty and wants to use its leverage to secure technological and economic benefits from US strategic investments (especially regarding the space race).
• Dr. Malmgren urges Greenland to actively seek participation in technological advances—“Greenland is not for sale, but it’s open for business.”

Memorable Moment:
“And I have said to the Greenlanders, you guys should be saying, okay, if you're going to be doing the space race from Greenland, we should be part of it... take us with you to the technological frontier”
— Dr. Pippa Malmgren [37:51]

9. Global Power Deals: The Nuclear Era and the 'Hug' Solution

[39:21-47:22]

• Superpowers are moving towards “grand bargains” akin to the Yalta agreement, striving for multi-issue settlements (e.g., Ukraine, Taiwan, Gaza).
• Citing history, Pippa notes that existential threats (like nuclear war) eventually lead leaders to embrace, not annihilate, their rivals (“always end in a hug”).
• Peace requires painful but necessary reintegration of adversaries into the global system.

Notable Quote:
“My dad watched all of these geopolitical conflicts always end in a hug ... Because once you say we're not going to kill each other ... let's go to the bar, let's, you know, hug.”
— Dr. Pippa Malmgren [44:14]

10. Chagos Islands and the global scramble for bases

[48:50-52:39]

• Trump criticizes the UK for negotiating away Diego Garcia—in the Chagos Islands—another critical American military base.
• US sees any loss of strategic bases (Chagos, Greenland, Guam) as a threat, especially vis-à-vis China.
• Italy, under Giorgia Meloni, stands out as a willing partner for peace talks.

Memorable Moment:
“Diego Garcia ... that’s the main base US uses whenever it's doing bombing, runs into the Middle East ... When Trump arrived, he went, ah, wait A minute. That's a really important national security interest in the same way that Greenland is.”
— Dr. Pippa Malmgren [49:26]

11. America’s Changing Nature: Not the Old Superpower Game

[53:02-58:23]

• US adopts new tactics—precision strikes, special operations, and leveraging economic power—to send strategic messages globally.
• Dr. Malmgren stresses that European misunderstanding of America's heartland hampers alliances.
• The “real America” (Midwest/Heartland) is decisive in US politics and eschews unnecessary wars—a mindset non-coastal Europeans may not fully appreciate.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• "[Greenland] is strategic, security wise ... The US does have the right to do pretty much anything it wants to militarily here."
  — Dr. Pippa Malmgren [02:46]

• "Star Wars is where we go to war with other human beings. Star Trek is where we go to war with problems."
  — Dr. Pippa Malmgren [14:31]

• "Our rules are our rules and we don't want a separate conversation ... Populists … want the new version—where jobs migrate back to our countries."
  — Dr. Pippa Malmgren [11:54]

• "If you want to keep having the war in Ukraine, then Greenland becomes critical."
  — Dr. Pippa Malmgren [19:30]

• "He did say, we love Europe. … We are all brothers and sisters, and we think there's some other ways we could progress everything."
  — Dr. Pippa Malmgren [14:10]

• "Greenland is not for sale, but it’s open for business."
  — Dr. Pippa Malmgren [37:17]

• "When you reach the point where you're really threatening a nuclear confrontation ... The only other place you can go is ... a hug."
  — Dr. Pippa Malmgren [44:11]

Final Takeaways & Recommendations

• Dr. Malmgren urges listeners to “widen the aperture” of their information diet—to seek out new perspectives on the space race, the Arctic, and global strategy ([58:40]).
• Actionable Advice:
  "Train your digital sheepdog to widen the array of stories that are brought to you." — Dr. Pippa Malmgren [58:41]

In Closing

This episode provides an ambitious, nuanced analysis of fast-moving geopolitical changes, specifically how and why the US, Europe, Russia, and China are repositioning amidst the Ukraine war and the broader struggle over energy, technology, sovereignty, and the future of international cooperation. Dr. Malmgren’s behind-the-scenes access and global perspective illuminate the logic—and perils—of grand bargains in an era where peace and power are deeply intertwined.