January 1, Europe Jitters as US Eyes Greenland Power Play

Wyatt’s Take

• European leaders are rattled by talk of America seizing Greenland.
• Denmark and others are making it clear they won’t stand for any forceful U.S. move.
• Greenland’s location and resources put it at the center of global power games.

European leaders are growing uneasy as the U.S. signals it might use military force to take Greenland, a large Arctic territory tied to Denmark.

After President Trump’s return, new U.S. policies—ranging from defense spending to operations in Venezuela—have tested transatlantic trust even more.

Recent talk from Trump that the U.S. “needs” Greenland and might take it “by force” has cooled relations even further.

“European leaders have had to rethink their relationship with the U.S. repeatedly this year,” said Oliviero Fiorini, a political affairs analyst from Milan.

Leaders from Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the U.K. quickly issued a joint statement: “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and for them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”

The Europeans stressed that international law and national sovereignty must be respected, directly pushing against any U.S. move on the territory.

Greenland operates independently but is linked to Denmark, similar to Puerto Rico’s relationship with the U.S. America has a military base in Greenland by agreement, not ownership.

Greenland’s access to the Arctic, missile tracking potential, and new shipping routes explain why both sides want control.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned a U.S. takeover would destroy NATO. “If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country, then everything stops … including NATO and the security it has provided since the end of World War II,” Frederiksen said.

Trump has shown little hesitation about NATO in the past and White House officials now say military action for Greenland is “always an option.”

Not everyone in Greenland agrees with Denmark, though. Pele Broberg of an opposition party called for direct talks: “We encourage our current [Greenlandic] government to actually have a dialogue with the U.S. government without Denmark,” he said. “[Denmark is antagonizing both Greenland and the U.S.] with their mediation.”

The U.S. spends nearly twice what all EU countries plus the U.K. spend on defense. Last year, America poured $884 billion into its military, compared to $400 billion from the EU and $82 billion from the U.K.

This showdown is just heating up. Heartland folks know power moves overseas end up on our doorstep sooner or later.

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Wyatt Matters

For folks at home, leaders putting their own people first is something we can relate to. Standing up for self-government and respecting fair deals matters, whether in our backyard or the Arctic.