Donald Trump’s Greenland Push Sparks European Backlash Over ‘New Colonialism’ and Threat to NATO Unity
European leaders have condemned US President Donald Trump’s threat to seize Greenland, warning that the continent stands at a critical juncture as Trump doubles down on his vow to bring the Arctic island under US control.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, French President Emmanuel Macron accused Trump of "useless aggressivity" and warned against "new imperialism or new colonialism," after the US president said there was "no going back" on the Greenland takeover.
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In a provocative social media post, he shared digitally altered images depicting the US flag planted in Greenland, declaring the island a “US territory est. 2026.”
Macron criticised the use of trade threats as leverage against territorial sovereignty and warned of a shift toward “a world without rules.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Trump’s tariff threats “a mistake” and noted that the two sides had a standing trade deal from July. “A deal is a deal. When friends shake hands, it must mean something,” she said.
Tensions escalated as other European leaders echoed concerns. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever accused Trump of crossing red lines and undermining NATO, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged middle powers to build a new world order as the US retreats from its traditional alliances.
Carney described the moment as "the end of a pleasant fiction and the dawn of a harsh reality" in which global power is increasingly unconstrained.
Trump’s push for Greenland, which follows weeks of escalating rhetoric, has fractured the transatlantic alliance and plunged US-EU trade ties into disarray.
Senior European lawmakers are expected to suspend ratification of the July trade agreement, and Brussels is considering retaliatory tariffs on up to €93 billion in US goods. The EU is also weighing use of a dormant anti-coercion instrument that would restrict US access to European public tenders and digital markets.
While the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken a more muted approach, he told his cabinet the proposed US tariffs were “the wrong thing to do” and reaffirmed support for ceding the Chagos Islands to Mauritius—a move Trump has denounced.
Meanwhile, US House Speaker Mike Johnson, on a visit to London, claimed to be working to “calm the waters” after a call with Trump.
The Greenland crisis also risks drawing in NATO, as Trump’s rhetoric has included veiled suggestions of military action. Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenland’s Prime Minister, said while force was “unlikely,” any escalation would carry international consequences.
Denmark, which retains sovereignty over Greenland’s foreign and security affairs, has already deployed additional troops as part of a military exercise amid fears of tension.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark sought cooperation, not conflict, but warned “the worst may still be ahead of us.”
The EU, in response, is finalising an Arctic security package based on respecting Greenlandic and Danish sovereignty, coupled with increased investment and cooperation with the US in the region.
The US already maintains a military presence at Thule Air Base in Greenland under an existing defence agreement with Denmark.
But Trump’s demands to annex the territory outright—against the will of both Greenlandic and Danish authorities—have prompted alarm over a potential rupture in NATO unity and further deterioration of US-EU relations.
EU leaders have signalled their willingness to respond firmly, even as US officials attempt to de-escalate. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed the crisis, calling European reactions “hysteria” and urging leaders to “sit back, relax,” adding, “This will work out in a very good place for all.”