NATO silence on Trump’s Greenland threats sparks European anger

Monday 12 January 2026 - 14:20

By: Dakir Madiha

NATO silence on Trump’s Greenland threats sparks European anger

President Donald Trump has escalated threats to acquire Greenland "one way or another," yet NATO has issued no public statement defending Denmark's territorial sovereignty. This unusual silence from the alliance has drawn sharp criticism from alarmed European leaders who see it undermining core NATO principles. The Financial Times reported on January 11 that European capitals grow increasingly frustrated with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's reticence on the crisis.

Rutte's sole public remark came in a brief 60-second CNN response where he echoed Trump's concerns about rising Russian and Chinese activities near Greenland, calling for enhanced security rather than backing a member state. A senior EU official told the Financial Times they never expected Rutte once seen as Europe's bridge to Trump to stay so quiet. In stark contrast, European Union leaders spoke out forcefully: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen affirmed that "the rule of law is stronger than force," while Council President António Costa insisted nothing about Denmark or Greenland can be decided without their consent.

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen shifted to a confrontational stance, warning TV2 that a US military move against another NATO country would shatter the postwar security order, including the alliance itself. Trump showed no signs of backing down, stating aboard Air Force One on Sunday that failing to secure Greenland risks Russia or China taking it—and he dismissed NATO worries, claiming "they need us far more than we need them." Nordic diplomats with NATO intelligence access refuted Trump's repeated claims of Russian and Chinese ships near Greenland, with one senior figure insisting to the Financial Times that no such vessels or submarines appear in the data.

Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide backed this view on NRK, denying significant Russian or Chinese presence around Greenland. Calls for NATO action intensify: Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged "serious discussions," while Belgium's Defense Minister Theo Francken proposed an "Arctic Sentry" mission modeled on Baltic Sea patrols. A NATO diplomat admitted privately that ignoring the issue implies collective acceptance, as spokesperson Allison Hart merely noted Rutte's close coordination across the Atlantic.