In a stark warning that has sent ripples through European defense circles, European Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrews Kubilius, declared that a U.S. military takeover of Greenland would spell immediate doom for NATO. Speaking at a high-level security conference in Sweden, Kubilius painted a chilling scenario: if Washington resorts to force to claim the Arctic territory, the transatlantic alliance could collapse overnight.
Greenland, though autonomous, remains an integral part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO and European Union member. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that America must “own” Greenland to block Russian or Chinese influence in the mineral-rich Arctic region, dismissing current U.S. military access as insufficient. Despite firm rejections from both Copenhagen and Nuuk—each stating unequivocally that the island is not for sale, Trump has left the door open for more aggressive measures.
Kubilius emphasized that such an act would not only breach international norms but also trigger binding EU defense obligations. Under Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union, all member states are legally required to assist Denmark in the event of armed aggression. “It will depend a lot on Denmark how they react, what their position will be,” Kubilius explained, “but there is definitely an obligation for mutual assistance.”
He added with grave clarity, “I agree with the Danish Prime Minister that this will be the end of NATO, but among the people it will be very, very negative.” The implication is clear: if the United States attacks a fellow NATO ally’s sovereign territory—even indirectly through its autonomous region—the very foundation of collective defense would crumble under contradiction.
As geopolitical tensions mount over the Arctic’s strategic future, the world watches closely. One thing is certain: any move toward force in Greenland wouldn’t just redraw maps, it could erase decades of alliance architecture in a single stroke.
