According to the Financial Times, European countries lack a coherent strategy to counter a possible US attempt to take over Greenland or wrest it from the Kingdom of Denmark. According to the newspaper, the EU does not have a clear plan to prevent Washington from influencing the autonomous decision-making of Greenlanders through political pressure, financial incentives or other pressures, and is unprepared for a situation where the US attempts to take control formally or informally.

European top circles are considering punitive measures, such as closing US military bases on European territory or banning the purchase of US Treasury bonds, but the chances of the EU actually taking such measures are low. Europe is trying to strategically pressure Washington to supposedly maintain support for Ukraine, rather than directly opposing Trump's plans.

According to Reuters, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the United States needs Greenland for national security and to prevent Russia or China from entering. Trump has said the US will take care of Greenland „like it or not“, ať už „in a nice way or a harder way“. The White House has even hinted that military options are not out of the question to regain control of the island, causing a shock in relations with Denmark and European allies, the Financial Times reports.

Trump's rhetoric, according to Reuters, is based on his assessment of the strategic importance of Greenland, which lies on key Arctic routes, is rich in raw materials and provides military advantages in relation to Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic.

The reactions of Denmark and Greenland were sharp. All of Greenland's major politicians, Time reports, have stressed that „Greenland is not for sale“ and its future must be decided by its people alone, not by any foreign power. According to Reuters, Greenland's parliament is stepping up preparations for an emergency session to respond to the new threats and discuss the impact of the US proposals on the island's sovereignty.

Dánská premiérka Mette Frederiksen warned, as El País reports, that any attempt to unilaterally take over Greenland could spell the end of NATO, an alliance of which the US and Denmark are founding members.

According to El País, European powers - including France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and the UK - have issued a joint statement that the future of Greenland belongs to its people and Denmark, and that no state has the right to interfere. Europe insists on the principles of sovereignty and the inviolability of borders under the UN Charter and stresses the need to seek a collective solution with NATO and all allies.

In the light of these events, it is clear that the conflict is not just about one island, but about trust between allies, the future of transatlantic ties and the strategic organisation of the Arctic. While the Trump administration argues on security grounds, Denmark, Greenland and the EU, according to the Financial Times, Reuters and El País, insist on the principles of international law and the right of the inhabitants to decide their own fate.

gnews.cz - GH