World leaders put in long hours to meet a deadline for a deal on reducing emissions and helping developing countries deal with the effects of global warming. The United States helped revive the talks by supporting a $100 billion climate fund for poor nations. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated that a group of influential leaders had productive discussions overnight to overcome the stalemate in the negotiations. Despite concerns about potential failure, the final push began with a gala dinner for world leaders hosted by Denmark's Queen Margrethe. French President Nicolas Sarkozy stated that time is running out and there is no time for pretending during the talks. He emphasized that a failure in Copenhagen would have severe consequences for everyone. Approximately 28 people were arrested during a Greenpeace protest near the palace, including three who managed to evade security and enter the premises. Activists carrying signs criticizing politicians for talking without taking action walked up the red carpet before U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's arrival. U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to face demands to commit to further reducing emissions as the world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso expressed his high expectations for an announcement from President Obama during the upcoming climate summit. Barroso emphasized that Obama's visit is not just to repeat what is already in their draft legislation, particularly referring to a climate bill awaiting approval in the U.S. Senate. Despite progress being made between the United States and China on key issues, officials could not confirm if a deal would be reached once Obama joined the talks. One U.S. official noted advancements in monitoring, reporting, and verification requirements for emissions reductions by China and other major developing countries. China has not agreed to meet these requirements. The United States has boosted morale by committing to support a $100 billion annual fund for developing nations starting in 2020. This amount would exceed current aid levels to poor nations and align with requests from African nations. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the U.S. pledge as positive. However, a U.S. official indicated that President Obama is not expected to provide further details on U.S. funding commitments. An agreement on financial matters is just one piece of a larger puzzle, which also involves efforts to save rainforests, enhance carbon markets, and strengthen global carbon emission regulations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasized the importance of everyone contributing a little more to achieve these goals. She mentioned that the European Union is prepared to do more, but only in collaboration with other countries. However, any agreement reached must have unanimous approval. Some small island nations and African countries, which are particularly at risk from climate change, have stated that they will not support a weak agreement. "We are discussing the future of our country," stated Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia of Tuvalu, a Pacific island nation, in reference to the ongoing negotiations that started in Bali, Indonesia two years ago. The proposed goals in the negotiation drafts include reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2050 or requiring developed countries to decrease their emissions by 25 to 40 percent by 2020. "We are making progress towards a compromise, partly due to the financial assistance offered by the United States," remarked Kim Carstensen, who leads the global climate initiative at the WWF environmental group. Earlier in the week, the chances of a strong U.N. climate agreement seemed unlikely as countries pointed fingers at major emitters China and the U.S. for the impasse on carbon reduction targets. Ministers and leaders emphasized the need for increased urgency, stating that the outcome of the Copenhagen conference is crucial and cannot afford to be unsuccessful, according to China's climate change ambassador Yu Qingtai.