Allies, including France and Germany, are closely working on a plan on how to respond should the United States (U.S.) carry out its threat to take over Greenland, as Europe seeks to respond to the ambitions of U.S. President Donald Trump in the region.
A military takeover of Greenland by the U.S., and that from a long-standing ally, Denmark, would cause a severe shock within the NATO alliance and further deepen the rift between Trump and European leaders.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that the issue would be raised at a meeting with the foreign ministers of Germany and Poland later in the day.
“We want to act, but we want to do so together with our European partners,” Barrot stated.
A source from the German government said that Germany is “closely cooperating with other European countries and Denmark on the next steps regarding Greenland.”
A senior European official said that Denmark must lead efforts in coordinating the response, but that “the Danes have not yet clearly communicated to European allies what specific support they want to receive,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Leaders of Europe’s largest powers and Canada this week came to Greenland’s defense, saying that the Arctic island belongs to its inhabitants, after Trump once again threatened to take over the territory.
Johannes Koskinen, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Finnish parliament, called for the issue to be brought before NATO.
“Allies in NATO should consider whether something needs to be done and whether the U.S. should be brought into line in the sense that it cannot disregard jointly agreed plans in order to pursue its own ambitions of power,” Koskinen said.
The next meeting of the North Atlantic Council is scheduled for today, January 8th.
Trump revives the idea of a takeover
In recent days, Trump has once again emphasized that he wants to take control of Greenland, an idea he first put forward in 2019 during his first presidential term. He claims that the island is key to U.S. military strategy and that Denmark has not done enough to protect it.
European officials say they are further unsettled by recent events in Venezuela and the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.
The White House said on Tuesday that Trump is considering options for taking over Greenland, including the potential use of the U.S. military, once again reviving his ambition to control this strategically important island, despite opposition from European countries.
Barrot suggested that the military option has been ruled out by the top of U.S. diplomacy.
“I personally spoke yesterday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (…) who confirmed that this is not the approach being considered… he ruled out the possibility of an invasion (of Greenland),” Barrot said.
The U.S. military operation over the weekend, in which the leader of Venezuela was arrested, has further fueled fears that Greenland could face a similar scenario.
A senior U.S. official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said this week that Trump and his advisers are considering several ways to take over Greenland, including a purchase. Greenland and Denmark have said that the island is not for sale.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt requested an urgent meeting with Rubio to discuss the situation.
“We want to introduce some nuance into the conversation. Shouting must be replaced with a more reasonable dialogue. Now,” Rasmussen wrote on social media.
Denmark disputes the Russian and Chinese presence
Greenland, the world’s largest island with a population of just 57.000, is not an independent member of NATO, but is covered by Denmark’s membership in the alliance.
The island is located at a strategic position between Europe and North America, which is why it has for decades been key to the U.S. ballistic missile defense system. Its mineral wealth also fits into Washington’s efforts to reduce dependence on China.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that Russian and Chinese vessels are patrolling waters around Greenland, which Denmark disputes.
“The picture being created of Russian and Chinese ships deep inside the Nuuk fjord and of massive Chinese investments is not accurate,” Rasmussen told reporters late Tuesday.
Vessel-tracking data published by MarineTraffic and LSEG do not show the presence of Chinese or Russian ships near Greenland.
