President Donald Trump’s threat to invade Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a longstanding US ally, and a member of NATO, marked one of the most serious deteriorations in transatlantic relations in recent decades. Although this deterioration formed part of a broader foreign policy trajectory that Trump had set in motion during his first term and pursued more aggressively in his current presidency, threatening to withdraw from NATO, scaling back US support for Ukraine’s war effort, and imposing steep tariffs on European imports, the European response to his threat against Greenland went well beyond previous reactions. Europe threatened retaliatory tariffs on American imports and began increasing defence spending to offset the shortfall created by reduced US financial and military contributions to NATO and to Ukraine’s war against Russia. More significantly, Trump’s threat to invade Greenland prompted an unprecedented military response, coordinated between Denmark and several European countries, led by Germany and France, with the participation of Sweden and Norway, to strengthen the island’s defence in the face of his threats. These developments have raised fundamental questions about the future of NATO should its own members find themselves in direct confrontation.

The United States subsequently stepped back from the idea of annexing the island, and recent reports have pointed to the existence of a framework of understanding between President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte concerning Greenland, although no details have yet been made public. NATO has stated that the purpose of the discussions between Denmark, Greenland and the United States is to prevent Russia and China from establishing an economic or military “foothold” on the island, claiming that Russian and Chinese vessels had been operating near Greenland. Trump, for his part, justified his demand for control over Greenland by arguing that failure by the United States to act would leave the way open for Russia or China to take control of the island. These claims point to another dimension of great power competition surrounding the Danish island. The Greenland crisis has also left a significant mark on transatlantic relations. The European response to the United States’ war against Iran marked a turning point in that relationship. Whereas the United Kingdom, Poland and Australia joined the United States in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, no Western country took part in the US attack on Iranian territory. Instead, several countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Romania, limited their involvement to providing military and logistical support, particularly through the US military bases located on their territory.

Greenland has long been a target of US efforts to acquire it. The first idea of purchasing the island emerged in 1867, following the United States’ purchase of Alaska from........

© Middle East Monitor