As President Donald Trump revives discussions about acquiring Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, prominent U.S. lawmakers and international leaders have warned that any forceful U.S. action could dismantle the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a key alliance formed in 1949 to counter post-World War II threats. This renewed interest comes amid heightened U.S. focus on national security and resource-rich regions, potentially straining longstanding transatlantic partnerships at a time when global tensions are rising.
Trump’s Administration Signals Intent on Greenland
President Trump has expressed renewed interest in acquiring Greenland in recent weeks, emphasizing its importance to U.S. national security. The island hosts Pituffik Space Base, a U.S. military installation operational since 1943. Trump has argued that without U.S. control, the territory could fall under influence from adversaries like Russia or China.
Late last week, Trump escalated his rhetoric, stating, “We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not.” He also posted on Truth Social questioning NATO’s reliability, writing that he doubted whether the alliance “WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM” but affirmed that the U.S. would “always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us.”
The administration has not ruled out military force, though diplomacy remains the primary approach. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with Danish officials this coming week.
Adding to the developments, shortly after the U.S. operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, Trump’s ally Katie Miller posted a picture on social media of the American flag over Greenland, captioning it “SOON!” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, serving as Trump’s envoy to Greenland, wrote on X that the president’s desire to acquire the mineral-rich territory should be met with “hospitality, not hostility.”
U.S. Lawmakers Raise Alarms Over NATO Risks
On January 11, 2026, Sen. Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and stated that a U.S. move to annex Greenland by force “would be the end of NATO.” Responding to host Kristen Welker, Murphy explained that NATO countries would be obligated to defend Greenland, potentially pitting the U.S. against allies like the U.K. and France. “NATO would have an obligation to defend Greenland, and so query whether we would be at war with Europe, with England, with France,” he said.
Murphy also criticized Trump’s focus, saying, “The president is spending every single day thinking about invading Greenland, managing the Venezuelan economy, building a ballroom. He is not thinking about the American people at all.”
Other Democrats echoed these concerns. Sen. Mark Warner said on “Fox News Sunday” that if Trump took action against Greenland, “that would completely destroy NATO.” Sen. Mark Kelly posted that pursuing Greenland by force would reveal the president as “dumber and more incompetent than most of us thought,” adding, “Add an unqualified Secretary of Defense and we have the recipe for the biggest geopolitical blunder by the United States in our country’s history.”
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that Congress could intervene, stating, “We will force a vote in the Senate about no U.S. military action in Greenland or Denmark if we need to. We will get overwhelming bipartisan support that this president is foolish to even suggest this.”
International Leaders Push Back Firmly
Officials in Greenland, Denmark, and Europe have consistently rejected U.S. overtures over the past year, with opposition intensifying in recent days. On Monday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told broadcaster TV2 that an American attack on Greenland would end NATO, stating, “If the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, everything stops.” She reiterated this to public broadcaster DR, emphasizing the alliance’s dissolution in such a scenario.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen condemned Trump’s push as “so disrespectful.” On Friday, Nielsen and four party leaders declared that the island’s future “must be decided by the Greenlandic people,” according to reports.
European leaders aligned with this stance. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron issued a joint statement on Tuesday, asserting, “It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.” They added that Greenland “belongs to its people.”
Strategic Context and NATO’s Role
Greenland’s status as a Danish territory makes it integral to NATO, where Denmark is a member. The alliance’s Article 5 requires collective defense, treating an attack on one member as an attack on all—a provision invoked only once, after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S.
The island’s mineral resources and strategic location have drawn U.S. attention, particularly as climate change opens new Arctic routes and competition with global powers intensifies. Trump’s interest echoes earlier proposals, but the current push arrives amid broader U.S. foreign policy shifts, including recent actions in Venezuela, underscoring debates over alliance commitments and unilateral moves in an era of evolving security challenges.
