NATO Silent on Trump’s Military Remarks About Greenland... Europe Angered That ‘Ally Is Shaking the Alliance Itself’

[Financial News] From the very beginning of the year, United States of America (U.S.) President Donald Trump has been insisting that Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, is essential to national security and has even raised the possibility of military action. This has prompted concerns that the very foundations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which has lasted for more than 75 years, are being shaken.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has not issued any official response toward its ally, the U.S., and has instead remained silent, which is fueling Europe’s anger, the British daily Financial Times (FT) reported on the 11th.
According to Financial Times (FT), President Trump has repeatedly made remarks to the effect that he will “take Greenland by any means necessary,” directly threatening the territorial sovereignty of Denmark and Greenland. As a result, tensions across both sides of the Atlantic have been rising since the start of the year, yet NATO has neither mounted a direct response to the U.S. statements nor issued an official declaration underscoring the sovereignty of Denmark and Greenland.
This stands in stark contrast to the actions of NATO’s European member states. Major European countries such as Germany and France have publicly expressed solidarity with Denmark and Greenland and launched an all-out response, including discussions on strengthening security in the Arctic to ease tensions with the U.S. The European Union (EU) has also broken its initial silence and begun to raise its voice in support of Greenland.
In this context, the silence of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is being viewed as particularly unusual. Formerly the prime minister of the Netherlands, Secretary General Rutte has maintained a friendly relationship with President Trump and has acted as a mediator between the U.S. and Europe on key issues such as support for Ukraine. However, on the Greenland issue, which could potentially threaten NATO’s very existence, he has effectively refrained from taking a public position.
FT reported that the only official comment Mark Rutte has made regarding the Greenland situation was a brief, roughly 60-second response to a question from Cable News Network (CNN). At the time, he merely agreed on the need to strengthen security, noting that, as President Trump claimed, activities by Russia and China around Greenland are increasing, but he did not address the U.S. military threats or the question of territorial sovereignty.
An EU official told FT, “We did not expect Rutte, who was seen as someone Europe could rely on to communicate with Trump, to remain this quiet.” While European diplomatic circles acknowledge that NATO’s response is inevitably constrained given the overwhelming role the U.S. plays within the alliance, they worry that prolonged silence could in fact encourage President Trump’s unchecked behavior.
Critical voices are also emerging from within NATO. One NATO diplomat said, “It is true that even discussing such issues within NATO is not easy,” but added, “If we do not even hold discussions, it could give the impression that we agree with everything that is currently happening.”

#Trump #Greenland #NATO #Denmark #EU

km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter