The possibility of American military intervention in Greenland, mentioned by the White House as one of the “options”, has put NATO under unprecedented pressure.
Denmark – including Greenland – is a member of NATO, and an American attack on one of the alliance's members would mean “the end of everything“, warned Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Negotiation tactics, bluffs, serious threats: these are some of the questions being asked in Brussels, where NATO headquarters is located.
Bluffing?
Donald Trump is not giving up: already during his first term (2017-2021) he wanted Greenland, which he insists is important for American security.
Yesterday, his spokeswoman Caroline Levitt raised the stakes: “The president and his team are discussing several options for implementing this important political objective and, of course, using the US military is always an option for the commander in chief“.
According to French President Emmanuel Macron, this is unthinkable. "I cannot imagine a scenario in which the United States would be put in a position to violate Denmark's sovereignty" in Greenland, he said yesterday.
There will be no military intervention, assured French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot after a conversation with his American counterpart Marco Rubio.
Jeff Landry - appointed by Donald Trump as special envoy to Greenland - tried to calm the situation in late December. "I don't think he's talking about that," he said in response to a question about the possibility of a coup on the orders of the American president.
Serious threat?
The United States would have no problem taking over Greenland - the ice-covered territory of about 57,000 inhabitants, where there is already a US military presence.
“Nobody is going to fight the US over the future of Greenland“, said Trump's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller.
In the corridors of NATO headquarters, people refuse to believe this. But “given the persistent rhetoric, we can't be completely sure“, added a diplomat from the alliance. The consequences for NATO would be devastating. For the first time in the organization's history, one member state would attack another.
That is why the alliance is trying to stay out of the way for now. “I don't think this issue will ever be raised within NATO, to avoid any division“, explained another diplomat in Brussels. Moreover, the alliance deals only with “external military threats, not with internal problems between allies“, he added.
What will be the answer?
For NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the possibility of a US military strike is simply unthinkable. In an interview with CNN yesterday, he said that he prefers to “look at the issue from a different angle“.
According to the head of the alliance, the US and Denmark actually have one goal - ensuring the security of the Arctic against the ambitions of Russia and China. Therefore, there is no need for Washington to annex this territory, where US military bases are already located, according to an agreement signed in 1951.
“The Danes have no problem (with) the US having a larger presence than it currently has“, he said.
Copenhagen wants to discuss the issue with Washington quickly to clear up any “misunderstandings“. Seven European member states of the alliance have expressed their intention to respond to the US in a “convincing and decisive“ manner, assured Jean-Noel Barrot.
“Against these signs of threat, we want to act, but to act with our European partners“, the minister said, adding that he would discuss this at a meeting with his German and Polish counterparts. France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK also expressed their support for Denmark in a joint statement.
“I am convinced that in the coming days, initiatives will be taken behind the scenes or in the spotlight to resolve this situation. I hope so and I believe it will work,“ said Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken.““Nobody has an interest in a quarrel in NATO except our enemies,“ he noted.““