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Greenland Crisis/The Guardian Analysis: Europe Needs the US, but Must Resist Trump's Pressure
2026-01-18 09:44:31 / BOTA
The Greenland crisis, which threatens the very existence of NATO, could be seen as an opportunity for Europe to resist the ever-increasing demands of the American President.
European leaders have so far "submitted" to everything Donald Trump has asked for in the last year, starting with increasing NATO defense spending to 5% of GDP, withdrawing American support from Ukraine as part of a peace process that seems to favor Russia, while their reaction to Maduro's arrest has been lukewarm.
In an analysis by The Guardian, which precedes Trump's move to impose tariffs on countries that disagree with the US purchase of Greenland, it examines why Europeans are bowing to the US president without any resistance, even though they now declare that they will respond "coordinated and forcefully". This too remains to be seen.
“When it comes to Greenland, Europeans have found a border they really want to respect,” said Kristine Berzina, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund for U.S. defense and transatlantic security.
“Everything else has been negotiated… but the Greenland situation is different, because it concerns the issue of sovereignty and the issue of whether Europe is capable of defending itself in terms of its territory and rights. However, Europe was at a “diplomatic disadvantage” because of its dependence on the US for security issues. Unfortunately, Europe is not in a position to object strongly, because if Europe were to open a dispute on trade, I am sure that the US would react in the same way or even more. After all, Europe still needs the US,” said former Latvian Prime Minister Krišjanis Kariņš.
Meanwhile, the pressure on Danish and Greenlandic officials was immense.
Trump's interest in buying the island has grown since his friend Ronald Lauder, heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics company, first suggested it to him in 2019.
The White House has said his primary concern is national security, but Trump has acknowledged that his ego also plays a role.
Last week he told the New York Times that owning Greenland is "what I consider psychologically essential to success."
Others in his administration, particularly Vance, saw the Greenland fixation as an opportunity to start another dispute with European allies, and European diplomats saw his decision to join the negotiations as a negative sign.
Europe has tried to undermine the Trump administration's argument that Greenland is not adequately protected from a potential attack by Russia or China by sending a limited military force from France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
In addition to military missions, observers have many ideas about how the EU can protect Danish sovereignty over Greenland and advance European interests.
The milder proposals include calling for an international Arctic security summit in Nuuk, co-hosted by Denmark and Greenland, along with the EU and non-EU countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway and the United States.
In the most radical scenarios, the suspension of the European Parliament's vote to ratify the EU-US trade agreement reached last year.
However, such a move is unlikely to win majority support in the right-wing parliament, where many MEPs are wary of antagonizing the White House.
Trump remains determined to take over Greenland, while EU officials continue to be diplomatic.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the US as an ally and partner during the discussion on the situation in Greenland.
She also explained how the EU is seeking to strengthen its support for the island, citing the establishment of an office in Nuuk and the proposal to double EU financial assistance.
"Greenland can rely on us, politically, economically and financially," she told reporters.
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