By News Editor 
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s fixation on Greenland has erupted into one of the most bizarre geopolitical rows in recent memory, souring relations between the United States and its closest allies in Europe and triggering alarm over the future of transatlantic cooperation.
At the center of the storm is Trump’s renewed demand that the U.S. should acquire Greenland — the vast, mineral-rich Arctic territory that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and, through that link, a member of NATO. Trump has threatened punitive tariffs on European allies who reject U.S. control of the island, arguing it is strategically vital to counter Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic.
Tariff Threats Trigger European Backlash
According to Reuters, the recent Trump announcement of imposing a 10% tariff on eight European countries — including Denmark, France, Germany, the U.K., Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the Netherlands — rattled the group. The threat is that unless Washington is allowed to pursue a deal on Greenland, then the tariffs apply.
European governments blasted the move as “economic blackmail” and a dangerous escalation that undermines the foundations of NATO cooperation. A coordinated statement from several capitals warned Trump’s tactics “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly rebuked Trump, calling the tariff threats “completely wrong” and stressing that the future of Greenland is for Denmark and Greenland alone to decide.
EU Furious — Some Talk NATO Breakup
The European Union’s leadership has been unusually outspoken. EU diplomats and commissioners decried the U.S. threats, with one senior European official saying that a U.S. military takeover of Greenland would spell “the end of NATO” — a stark warning that the alliance’s future could be at stake if Trump’s rhetoric turns into action.
Protests have broken out in Copenhagen and Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, with demonstrators chanting “Greenland is not for sale” and condemning what they see as an attempt to reduce their people to bargaining chips.
Greenland, Denmark — ‘Not for Sale’
Greenland’s own government has made its position crystal clear: the island is not for sale and cannot be ceded to another country under any circumstances. Officials have emphasized that Greenland is part of Denmark, and Denmark’s leaders have ruled out U.S. control.
Denmark’s Prime Minister warned that any U.S. military action against Greenland — itself a NATO territory — would fundamentally breach the alliance’s core treaties and protections.
NATO Caught in the Middle
European NATO members are struggling to respond. Some diplomats have been irked by what they see as the alliance’s muted reaction, arguing that NATO should defend Denmark and Greenland’s sovereignty outright — but few expect the U.S.-led alliance to publicly rebuke its own president.
Meanwhile, some Republican lawmakers at home are also expressing unease about the tariff strategy, warning it could damage vital military and security cooperation with Europe and empower geopolitical rivals.
What Happens Next?
With EU ambassadors scheduled to meet and a broader European response taking shape, the Greenland row has become a litmus test for the future of U.S.–European cooperation. Analysts say this could push the EU to accelerate its defense autonomy efforts — effectively reducing reliance on the United States — and deepen divisions within NATO if the standoff continues.
If Trump persists, some European officials warn, it could be the closest the alliance has come to an ideological split since the Cold War — all sparked by one of the planet’s most remote and sparsely populated regions. There’s still the fact that those 50,000 people all would prefer to stay with Denmark for the simplest of reasons: healthcare.
John Kiriakou, the famed former CIA officer who blew the whistle on the U.S. torture program under George W. Bush — and was later prosecuted by the Obama administration for doing so — recently weighed in on the Greenland tantrum. Kiriakou notes that the region is mineral rich and already has a US Air Force base, the Trump administration wants the ability to assign concessions for Rare Earth Minerals. However, none of those people want to be under US healthcare and Denmark truly has public and well functioning healthcare.