EU Commissioner Says That If The US Took Over Greenland, It Would Mean The End Of NATO
The head of defense for Europe says that if the US took Greenland, it would break up NATO and ruin ties between the US and Europe.
The European Commissioner for Defense and Space said on Monday that the EU could help protect Greenland if Denmark asked them to. He also warned that a US military takeover of the Arctic island would mean the end of NATO.
US President Donald Trump has said that the US should own Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, so that Russia or China can’t take over the strategically placed, mineral-rich area. He says that having US troops there isn’t enough to protect Greenland.
The United States and Denmark, both of which are in NATO, are going to talk about Greenland this week. Both Greenland and Denmark have said that the land is not for sale, but Trump has not said that he won’t take it by force.
At a security meeting in Sweden, European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius told Reuters, “I agree with the Danish prime minister that it will be the end of NATO. It will also be very, very bad for people.”
He said it would be “very deeply bad for the people and for our transatlantic relations.”
On Monday, Trump replied on Truth Social, “I’m the one who SAVED NATO!!!” He did not give any more information or background.
He said he didn’t think the US was going to invade, but he did stress that Article 42.7 of the EU treaty requires member states to help any member state that is being attacked by an armed force.
“A lot will depend on Denmark and how they react and what their position is,” he said. “But there is definitely an obligation for member states to come to the aid of each other if another member state is facing military aggression.”
Kubilius didn’t see why Greenland should be occupied by force and said it would hurt all aspects of US-European ties, including trade.
“Who will acknowledge that occupation and what effects it has on all of our relationships with Europe, such as trade, where Americans can also suffer very painful negative effects,” he continued.
Besides that, he said that if Denmark asked, the EU could make Greenland safer by sending troops and military equipment like boats and anti-drone systems.
“That’s for the military to say what Greenland or the Arctic needs for defense.” He said, “Anything is possible.”
Kubilius also said that Europe should keep building up its own military power even if the US doesn’t help. He warned that if the US left NATO, it would be very hard for other countries to join.
He said, “It will be a very big challenge to be ready to defend Europe without the United States and on your own.”
“The question would be how we can use NATO structures in that situation and how they can, you know, become the foundation for the European pillar of NATO.” But NATO will not exist in the same form it does now.
Trump said last week that the US would always back NATO and that Russia and China would only be afraid of it as long as the US was a part.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, many NATO countries have greatly increased their defense spending. This is because Trump asked his European partners to put more money into their own safety.
