The president of the United States shows no sign of giving up on the idea of taking control of Greenland, an autonomous territory that belongs to Denmark, a close ally of Washington. Donald Trump's repeated insistence has heightened concerns among European leaders and created confusion about how Europe should respond.
Donald Trump wants Greenland PHOTO AFP
For several months, European capitals have been trying to find a balance between firm support for Denmark and maintaining strategic relations with the United States. In recent days, however, the tone and frequency of Trump's statements about Greenland have heightened the sense of unease, say Financial Times correspondents.
According to European officials, Washington's pressure on Greenland comes on top of other controversial episodes, including US military intervention in Venezuela and the US administration's ambiguous stance on Russia's war against Ukraine.
“It's a very fine line”said a senior European official. “Solidarity with Denmark is undeniable. But there is also the case of Venezuela, where no one regrets Maduro, although there are legal problems. At the same time, we need the United States to remain on our side to achieve an acceptable result in Ukraine.”
Another official acknowledged that, within the European Union, there is a growing awareness that some traditional relationships are changing. Still, he added, there remains hope that tensions will ease, despite growing signs of disdain for the long-standing transatlantic alliance and Europe's need to reduce its dependence on Washington.
Few European leaders have openly criticized the United States
Support for Denmark and Greenland came quickly from the Nordic and Baltic countries, followed by France, Germany and the United Kingdom. However, few European leaders have openly criticized the United States, and most have avoided mentioning Donald Trump by name, even after he reiterated that Greenland is of strategic interest to the US.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would “support” his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, in the face of US pressure, after coming under increasing pressure, including from his own MPs, to take a tougher stance on the White House.
European officials say the US operation that ousted Nicolás Maduro showed that President Trump does not feel constrained by the rules of international law. In this context, they warn, his rhetoric on Greenland should be taken with the utmost seriousness.
At the same time, Europe's reliance on US support for Ukraine and the continent's security guarantees has fueled deep fears of open criticism of Washington, leading to significant divergence among member states over response strategy.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said “legitimate US security needs” could be addressed through direct dialogue between Denmark and the United States. For Copenhagen, however, Danish officials say that such a dialogue seems, at present, difficult to achieve.
Danish authorities say that Donald Trump initially tried to put direct pressure on the government in Copenhagen, and later changed his approach, addressing the people of Greenland directly.
In the past 24 hours, European leaders have issued coordinated statements of support for Denmark, in a move described by NATO and EU diplomats as an attempt to carefully manage escalating American rhetoric.
For NATO, the situation is particularly delicate
A possible US military action against Greenland would mean a direct conflict between two allies, calling into question the fundamental principle of collective defense and forcing the other member states to choose a side.
NATO officials recognize Greenland's strategic importance to Arctic security, but argue that the Alliance can collectively respond to these challenges through increased involvement in the region without resorting to annexation.
They also point to the shift in position of some regional NATO members, who now support a more active role for the Alliance in the Arctic, as well as the example of Canada, which previously succeeded in tempering Trump's rhetoric by increasing defense spending.
In early January, the European Commission strongly rejected any parallels between Venezuela's case and Greenland's, pointing out that Greenland is a US ally and part of NATO — a “major” difference.
In a joint statement, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom and Denmark reaffirmed that Greenland belongs to its people and that only Denmark and Greenland can decide on the island's future.
They also emphasized that security in the Arctic must be guaranteed in cooperation with NATO allies, including the United States, and that the Europeans are already increasing their presence and investments in the region to deter possible threats.
