Emmanuel Macron has hit back at Donald Trump, warning that 'we're shifting to a world without rules' where 'international law is trampled underfoot, and the only law that matters is that of the strongest'.

The French President's World Economic Forum address came after Trump published private texts from Macron pleading with him over his plans for Greenland. 

Sporting a pair of aviator sunglasses to hide an eye condition, Macron told Davos officials today: 'It's... ‍a ?shift towards a world without rules, where international law ‍is ‍trampled underfoot and where the only law that seems ?to matter is that of ?the strongest', adding that what he called 'imperial ‍ambitions' were resurfacing.

He also said that Europe should not hesitate to deploy tools at its disposal to protect its interests, amid rising trade threats from Trump in the run-up to the US President's speech on Wednesday. 

Macron opened his speech by saying: 'It's time of peace, stability and predictability, yet we have approached instability and imbalance,' adding that 'conflict has become normalised'. 

But while Macron did not directly address the US President, he said he prefers 'respect to bullies' and 'rule of law to brutality' following threats by Trump.

Macron also denounced US competition seeking to 'subordinate Europe' and 'unacceptable' tariffs after Trump threatened to impose levies on countries opposing his plans to seize Greenland.

The French President described 'competition from the United States of America through trade agreements that undermine our export interests, demand maximum concessions, and openly aim to weaken and subordinate Europe'.

They were 'combined with an endless accumulation of new tariffs that are fundamentally unacceptable - even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty', he said.

Following his speech, Macron told reporters that he did not plan? to speak ?with his US ?counterpart at the forum.

Macron's Davos statement comes after Trump published messages showing the French leader's confusion over the US President's plans to take control of Greenland. 

Trump posted screenshots on his Truth Social platform showing Macron offering to host a meeting with 'Ukrainians, the Danish, the Syrians, and the Russians' and inviting the US president to dinner in Paris.