Tensions over the future of the Arctic reached a boiling point this week after President Donald Trump refused to rule out the use of military force to secure control of Greenland, declaring the U.S. would take the strategic territory “one way or the other.”
The ultimatum has triggered a scramble among European allies, with officials warning that any hostile move against the island—a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark—could shatter the Western alliance.
Greenland’s government fired back immediately, stating it “cannot under any circumstances accept” a U.S. takeover. While officials in Nuuk reaffirmed the island remains a committed member of NATO through the Danish commonwealth, they stressed that their defense cooperation must stay within the existing alliance framework.
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The stakes were raised considerably Monday when Andrius Kubilius, the EU’s defense commissioner, issued a warning during a conference in Sweden.
Kubilius agreed with Danish leadership that a U.S. military seizure of the island would effectively mean “the end of NATO.” He noted that EU member states could be legally obliged to come to Denmark’s aid under the bloc’s mutual assistance clause if it faced aggression, though experts debate whether the clause applies to Greenland, which sits outside the EU.
“It will depend very much on Denmark, how they will react,” Kubilius said. “But definitely there is such an obligation of member states to come for mutual assistance.”
Trump has framed the acquisition of Greenland as a necessity for countering Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic, citing the island’s immense mineral wealth and strategic location.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, while not directly addressing Trump’s comments on seizing the territory, confirmed the alliance is “working on the next steps” to bolster collective security in the region as melting ice opens new sea lanes to competitors.
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Diplomats are now racing to find a solution before the rhetoric turns into action. Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen are scheduled to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Wednesday. Simultaneously, a delegation of U.S. senators, including Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, is heading to Copenhagen to meet with Danish and Greenlandic officials.
Some European leaders are proposing radical shifts to keep the island within the European sphere. Robert Habeck, Germany’s former vice-chancellor, suggested the “pragmatic” step of offering immediate EU membership to Greenland, Iceland, and Norway to fend off American pressure.
Meanwhile, Beijing has entered the fray, criticizing Washington’s aggressive posture. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson stated Monday that the Arctic concerns the “overall interests of the international community” and called for the respect of all nations’ rights in the region.
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