A senior European Union official has warned that any U.S. military takeover of Greenland would effectively bring NATO to an end, saying it would severely damage transatlantic relations and face widespread international rejection. The comments come amid renewed tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated that Washington must control the Arctic territory for strategic reasons.
EU Offers Security Support for Greenland
Speaking at a security conference in Salen, Sweden, European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said the European Union could help provide security for Greenland if Denmark were to request assistance. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, which, like the United States, is a NATO member.
Kubilius warned that a U.S. military takeover would have profound political consequences. “I agree with the Danish prime minister that it will be the end of NATO, but also among people it will be also very, very negative,” he said.
Trump’s Position on Greenland
Trump has said the United States must own Greenland to prevent Russia or China from occupying the strategically located, mineral-rich Arctic territory. He has argued that an existing U.S. military presence there is insufficient and has not ruled out taking Greenland by force. Greenland and Denmark have both stated that the territory is not for sale.
Trump responded to criticism on Monday with a post on Truth Social, saying, “I’m the one who SAVED NATO!!!” without providing further context or details.
NATO, EU Obligations, and Legal Frameworks
Denmark and the United States are scheduled to meet this week to discuss Greenland. Kubilius said he did not believe a U.S. military invasion was imminent but emphasized that the EU’s mutual defense clause, Article 42.7 of the EU Treaty, would obligate member states to assist Denmark if it faced military aggression.
“It will depend very much on Denmark, how they will react, what will be their position, but definitely there is such an obligation of member states to come for mutual assistance if another member state is facing military aggression,” Kubilius said.
Impact on Transatlantic Relations
Kubilius questioned the rationale of occupying Greenland by force and warned of far-reaching consequences for relations between Europe and the United States. He said such an action would have a “very deep negative impact among the people and on our transatlantic relations.”
He also raised doubts about international recognition of any occupation and highlighted potential economic fallout. “Who will recognise that occupation and what impacts on all the relationship in between of the United States and Europe, including, for example, trade, where also Americans can face quite painful negative consequences,” he said.
Possible EU Military Role in Greenland
According to Kubilius, the EU could increase its security role in Greenland if Denmark requested it, potentially deploying troops and military infrastructure such as warships and anti-drone capabilities. He stressed that specific defense needs would be determined by military experts. “Everything is possible,” he said.
Europe’s Broader Defense Challenge
Kubilius said Europe needs to strengthen its military capabilities regardless of whether it can rely on U.S. support in the future, noting that any U.S. withdrawal from NATO would pose a major challenge.
“It will be a very big challenge to be ready to defend Europe, being independent, being without the United States,” he said, adding that NATO in its current form “definitely will not exist anymore” without U.S. participation.
Trump said last week that the United States would always support NATO and argued that Russia and China only fear the alliance as long as the U.S. remains a member. Many NATO countries have significantly increased military spending since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and following Trump’s calls for Europe to invest more in its own defense.
