{"id":6040,"date":"2026-08-15T12:16:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T12:16:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/?p=6040"},"modified":"2026-08-15T12:16:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T12:16:38","slug":"greenland-row-and-probable-european-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/?p=6040","title":{"rendered":"Greenland Row and Probable European Response"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Asad Mirza<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

20 January 2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greenland has become a focal point of international tensions yet again, as US President Donald Trump repeated arguments that Washington must control the territory for national security reasons and has refused to rule out using military force to acquire it. Trump also announced that he will impose tariffs on those countries that had sent troops to Greenland in recent days for a Danish-led reconnaissance mission aimed at strengthening its security.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems that there is never going to be a dull day under President Donald Trump\u2019s watch. After kidnapping the Venezuelan president, he has again ratchetted-up his demands for Greenland\u2019s annexation to the United States or more control of its natural resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X that she had discussed Greenland and US actions with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. She emphasised that the European union will always defend its strategic economic and security interests. \u201cWe will face these challenges to our European solidarity with steadiness and resolve,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The comments come as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed he had spoken with President Donald Trump on January 18 regarding the security situation in Greenland and the Arctic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his threats to deploy troops to Greenland, this time accusing Denmark of not doing enough combat potential threats from Russia. “NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that \u2018you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland\u2019 he wrote on his Truth Social platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EU\u2019s response<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belgium\u2019s defence minister<\/a> has played down his country\u2019s role in European military deployments to Greenland, saying the mission is focused on reconnaissance and coordination rather than confronting the US. Belgium is sending a single officer to the autonomous Danish territory as part of a European detachment deployed at Copenhagen\u2019s request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UK opposition leaders<\/a> also criticised Trump’s announcement. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said the tariffs were a “terrible idea”, while Reform UK leader and Trump ally Nigel Farage said they “will hurt us”. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called Trump’s behaviour “unhinged” but said how the UK responds “matters a lot”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

France\u2019s Emmanuel Macron<\/a> has called for the EU to activate its most potent trade weapon against the US after President Donald Trump threatened to hit several European countries with extra tariffs in response to the dispute over Greenland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An \u00c9lys\u00e9e official said on Sunday (January 18) that the French president would request that the EU activates its so-called anti-coercion instrument that can restrict access to the single market for American companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Germany\u2019s vice-chancellor and finance minister Lars Klingbeil<\/a> said that \u201ca line had been crossed\u201d, adding that the affected nations \u201cmust not allow ourselves to be blackmailed\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cIt is unacceptable to hit countries that are now taking more responsibility for our common security in Nato,\u201d said Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark\u2019s defence minister<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lars L\u00f8kke Rasmussen, Denmark\u2019s foreign minister<\/a>, said that the tariff move was \u201csurprising\u201d because he had a \u201cconstructive dialogue\u201d with vice-president JD Vance on Wednesday. He added: \u201cIt is paradoxical because what makes the president react is that we are doing what we are criticised for not doing: namely taking care of the Arctic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alexander Stubb, president of Finland<\/a>, who is known to have a good personal relationship with Trump, said that \u201ctariffs would undermine the transatlantic relationship\u201d. The Swedish and Norwegian premiers Ulf Kristersson and Jonas Gahr St\u00f8re also warned that Europe \u201cwill not allow ourselves to be blackmailed\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EU trade commissioner Maro\u0161 \u0160ef\u010dovi\u010d<\/a> on Sunday (January 18) that the implementation of the US-EU trade deal would be \u201cvery complicated\u201d in light of Trump\u2019s threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump mania over Greenland<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greenland\u2019s strategic importance to the US dates back to the 19th century, and successive US administrations have explored acquiring the island. Since the second world war Washington has enjoyed extensive access to it under the 1951 Greenland Defence Agreement. But US Arctic engagement declined after the cold war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s fixation<\/a> on Greenland emerged during his first term, when he publicly proposed purchasing the island. European leaders largely treated the episode as a curiosity rather than a warning. Yet Trump\u2019s interest persisted. He reopened a US consulate in Nuuk in 2020 and officials who worked with him described his focus on acquiring Greenland as unusually intense and enduring. Upon returning to office in 2025, Trump framed it as a national security necessity and accused Denmark of failing to defend the territory adequately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greenland is home to a massive deposit of rare earths, which are crucial to US efforts to maintain its technological lead over China. But tapping these important minerals crucial for modern technology isn\u2019t easy, according to experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US Geological Survey<\/a> identifies 60 minerals as critical for the American economy and national security. A subset of these minerals, termed \u201crare earth elements,\u201d like neodymium and dysprosium, are necessary for manufacturing the magnets and motors that power America\u2019s tech industry, while others are key for the semiconductors driving the artificial intelligence boom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Access to rare earth minerals is seen as a key choke point for many of today\u2019s high-tech supply chains. China, one of America\u2019s tech rivals, has grown to dominate the rare earths production and refining market and has used access to rare earths as a negotiating chip with Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to ancient geological processes, Greenland hosts a variety of valuable ore and mineral deposits, from gold and iron to copper and graphite. Yet much of the country\u2019s resources remain untapped due to the island\u2019s isolation, harsh conditions, environmental stewardship, and the mining industry\u2019s price sensitivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to its rare earth supply, which is the world\u2019s third-largest known land deposit, Greenland also boasts extensive stores of germanium and gallium, two critical minerals needed for high-tech applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Germanium is a key component in fiber-optic wires, while gallium is used in semiconductors required for many consumer electronics, power supplies, data centers and even quantum devices. China currently controls around 98% of gallium and around 60% of germanium supplies worldwide, with particular dominance in the refining of minerals once they have been extracted, and leverages this dominance in trade negotiations with the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What should be the European response<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Europeans have real leverage in the face of Donald Trump\u2019s threats towards Greenland\u2014and time is on their side. They must use it to raise the prospective costs of annexation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, Trump thrives on empty space, ambiguity, and fear of US power. Europe\u2019s task is to fill the space calmly, collectively and pre-emptively. The joint statement on January 6, by European leaders was a good start and a strong statement of resolve. So too is the ongoing deployment of troops to Greenland by some governments. But more is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By acting fast, Europeans can outflank the US administration. Overall, Europeans have leverage. In Trump\u2019s language, they have cards. Time is the major factor. Trump wants to move soon. He already faces bipartisan criticism in Congress for his coercive diplomacy, midterm elections in November and the end of his presidential term in three years. Political shifts within Greenland and any commercial benefits of US annexation would take much longer to materialise (if they materialise at all). By acting fast, European leaders can outflank the administration. They are right to be cautious in what they say\u2014but must be clear-eyed about the challenge and decisive in curbing the chances of escalation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Asad Mirza 20 January 2026 Greenland has become a focal point of international tensions yet again, as US President Donald Trump repeated arguments that Washington must control the territory for national security reasons and has refused to rule out using military force to acquire it. Trump also announced that he will impose tariffs on those […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":2,"today_views":2},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6040"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6040\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6041,"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6040\/revisions\/6041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}