The North Atlantic Treaty Organization faces its most serious internal crisis in decades as Denmark threatens to abandon the alliance if the United States attempts military action against Greenland. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen declared that American force against a NATO member would end both the alliance and the entire post-World War II transatlantic security system, marking an extraordinary rupture between longtime allies over President Trump’s territorial ambitions.
Trump has justified his interest in Greenland through national security arguments, claiming the autonomous Danish territory requires protection that Denmark cannot provide. The region’s strategic value is considerable—it sits on the shortest missile trajectory between American and Russian territories and hosts a US military base. Additionally, Greenland possesses significant untapped rare earth mineral deposits and occupies a critical position as Arctic ice melts and opens new shipping lanes.
The timing of Trump’s escalated Greenland pressure has alarmed European officials, coming immediately after Washington’s military intervention in Venezuela. Trump’s forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who now faces detention in New York, while Trump announced indefinite American control over Venezuela’s substantial oil reserves. This aggressive precedent has intensified fears that Trump might employ similar tactics against Greenland despite its NATO protections.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has walked a careful line between resistance and diplomacy. He publicly confronted Trump on social media, demanding cessation of pressure, veiled threats, and annexation rhetoric. While expressing willingness for dialogue through proper diplomatic channels respecting international law, Nielsen subsequently attempted to reduce public anxiety by describing a US conquest as impractical and calling for restored cooperation with Washington.
European nations have demonstrated remarkable unity in supporting Denmark’s position. The European Union affirmed its commitment to defending member states’ territorial integrity, while Britain, France, and Nordic countries all stated that only Greenland and Denmark could determine the territory’s future. The crisis was further aggravated when Katie Miller, wife of senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller, posted Greenland imagery in American flag colors, which Nielsen condemned as disrespectful. Copenhagen residents expressed confusion about Trump’s threats against a nation that already provides the US with military access to Greenland.