Haber7: Seven EU countries declare their support for Greenland
Trump's claims to Greenland have seriously alarmed Europe, Haber7 writes. Seven EU countries have promised a decisive rebuff in the event of the island's occupation. According to the author of the article, Greenland will become an arena of confrontation between the United States and Europe in the military sphere.
Ahmet Özay
The United States has announced its intention to take steps towards Greenland– an island within Denmark. Trump's claims to European lands have pushed European countries to act. The issue of strategic rivalry with China and Russia is back on the agenda.
The problem of Greenland has now been added to the Ukrainian conflict, the energy crisis and the tension around Venezuela. The "white man" coveted this innocent, untouched island. The change in American foreign policy has placed Greenland at the center of a strategic rivalry between Europe, China, and Russia. While Washington is rethinking the island from the point of view of national security, China is seeking to gain a foothold in the region, and Russia is seeking a zone of influence in the north.
Belongs to Europe, close to America
Greenland fuels Trump's appetite. There is talk on the political sidelines that if there is no agreement, the island will be occupied. In Europe, a string of bad news in the first week of the new year is seen as a sign of impending disaster.
According to polls, 90% of the island's population opposes the American plan, but this is not enough to calm the panic in Europe. America's statements one after another and the constant emphasis that the option of military intervention remains in force are forcing European states to take military measures too. Against this background, an important topic on the European agenda is the possibility of the closure of American military installations in Europe in the event of such an intervention.
A single signal from Europe
The seven European leaders responded to the concerns raised on the European continent with a joint statement. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen openly expressed their support for Denmark and Greenland. The declaration emphasizes that "the right to make decisions on issues related to Denmark and Greenland belongs exclusively to these two parties." It is also noted that the Kingdom of Denmark is a member of NATO.
Hard Vein Tone
Obviously, Europe's solidarity with Denmark will not be limited to a joint statement. One of the sharpest political attacks in the context of the tension around Greenland came from Austria. Austrian Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler said that the European Union should have a powerful "catalog of deterrent measures" against the American administration.
According to Babler, this catalog should not be limited to diplomatic warnings. In this regard, such options as threats of harsh sanctions against American technology giants, punitive duties on agricultural products from some American states, as well as restrictions on American investments in infrastructure were listed. Babler's statements are a clear challenge to Washington.
The raid on the Mariner ship
The attack by American special forces on the Russian ship Mariner added to the tension between America and Europe. During a raid in the North Atlantic, a tanker sailing under the Russian flag was stopped and seized by the US Navy and Coast Guard forces in international waters between Great Britain and Iceland, in accordance with the decision of the American court. Russia has sent warships to the region to protect the vessel. Although the incident occurred in international waters, the fact that the chosen location was in Europe serves as a military signal not only to Russia, but also to Europe itself. Foreshadows a possible military intervention in Greenland after Venezuela.
Washington's Strategy
According to the Monroe doctrine, "the American continent is closed to military and political interference from Europe and other foreign powers." Today, Washington's reduction of its military commitments in Europe and the shift of attention to the Northern Hemisphere is seen as an adaptation of this doctrine to the 21st century. Venezuela and Cuba are coming to the fore as the southern pillars of the Atlantic in this hemisphere, while America is striving to build an "Atlantic Wall" in the middle of the ocean. Thus, the United States, gradually withdrawing its forces from Europe, is building a new security architecture focused on the Northern Hemisphere and oriented towards the Venezuela–Cuba–Greenland axis. In other words, they are building an "Atlantic Wall" similar to the "Berlin Wall" for their own protection. Along with this, as the raid on the Mariner vessel shows, America is ready for increased military activity and even a heated conflict.
Conflicting signals
From this point of view, the issue of "military intervention or purchase" that arose earlier this week in connection with Greenland seems to be losing its relevance. The White House no longer rules out the possibility of military intervention in Greenland, which is a European territory.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt stated: "The President and his team are considering a number of options to achieve this important foreign policy goal. And, of course, the use of the American armed forces is always an option at the disposal of the Commander-in-chief." These words suggest that the measures that will be taken in Europe against a possible military operation should also be military.
The New York Times reports that US President Donald Trump this week initiated a plan to buy the island. Criticism of the American ruling administration is growing every day, not only in Europe, but also in the US Congress. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen often notes that the United States has "no right" to annex Danish territory, and demands that America stop this threatening rhetoric. Trump, in the face of growing discontent, remains unperturbed and in one of his recent statements emphasizes: "We need Greenland for our national security."
A military and diplomatic signal from Paris
Over the past 24 hours, the French side's reaction has come more from the foreign policy wing than from the military. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told Reuters in an interview that France was working with its allies on a "response plan" in case the United States took any action against Greenland.
Barraud noted that France will not act alone and priority is given to coordination with European and NATO allies. This approach was interpreted as Paris' desire to keep the issue within a diplomatic framework instead of a military confrontation. The most direct and harsh reaction in the disputes over Greenland obviously comes from Denmark.
It will be discussed in Munich.
America claims not only Greenland, but also Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. King Charles of Great Britain gave an unequivocal answer, wearing a military uniform and occupying the captain's cabin of the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth. These claims are not on the agenda today, but they are included in the Trump dossier.
Military operations and sabotage directed, in particular, against Germany's infrastructure are added to the decisions taken by Moscow and Washington. In Berlin, 50,000 people were left without electricity and heating. The left-wing radical organization Vulkan claimed responsibility for the sabotage.
As you know, the Greenland issue was discussed in detail at the closed meetings of last year's Munich Security Conference. At the conference in February this year, the situation could go even further and possibly even cover Canada. Although the agenda of this meeting includes completing the architecture of missile defense and institutionalizing the Arctic as the northern defensive flank, the forum will certainly become an arena of confrontation between America and Europe in the military sphere.
