Source Reuter
BRUSSELS / PARIS – Key European allies have begun drafting an unprecedented coordinated contingency plan to counter a potential U.S. attempt to seize Greenland, as rhetoric from the White House shifts from diplomatic inquiry to explicit military threats.
The move, led by France, Germany, and Poland, marks a historic rift within the NATO alliance. It follows a week of escalating tension after U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his long-standing ambition to acquire the strategic Arctic island, even suggesting that military options remain “on the table.”
A Unified European Response
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed on Wednesday that the “Weimar Triangle” nations—France, Germany, and Poland—are working on a joint strategy to defend Danish sovereignty.
“We want to take action, but we want to do so together with our European partners,” Barrot told France Inter radio. “The inviolability of borders is a universal principle we will not stop defending.”
The planning signifies Europe’s rapid pivot toward “strategic autonomy.” Leaders from the UK, Italy, and Spain have joined their counterparts in a rare collective rebuke, issuing a joint statement asserting that Greenland belongs exclusively to its people and the Kingdom of Denmark.
The “Venezuela Precedent”
The sudden urgency in European capitals stems from recent U.S. military actions in Venezuela. European diplomats noted that the capture of Venezuela’s leadership has turned what was once dismissed as a “bizarre fantasy” into a credible security threat.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any U.S. move against a fellow NATO member would signal the “end of everything,” effectively dissolving the post-WWII security architecture.
Strategic Value and Diplomatic Schisms
The crisis has exposed a deep divide within the U.S. administration itself:
The White House: Pressing for Greenland’s acquisition to secure vast mineral wealth and counter Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic.
The State Department: Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly assured European allies in private that a military invasion is not being considered, directly contradicting public statements from the White House.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has requested an urgent meeting with Rubio to de-escalate what he termed a “shouting match” based on a “misreading” of Arctic security. Denmark maintains it has already invested billions in Arctic defense and that the U.S. already enjoys significant access through the 1951 Defense Agreement.
What’s Next?
European foreign ministers are scheduled to meet this Friday to finalize the details of their coordinated response. Observers suggest the plan may include:
Economic Countermeasures: Potential trade restrictions or tariffs.
Defense Hardening: Increased European military presence in the Arctic.
Diplomatic Isolating: Formalizing a “firewall” within NATO to protect member sovereignty.
