The French proposal to send troops to Greenland has broken the deadlock in Europe. Indeed, Paris’ Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that he had opened talks with Copenhagen on the possibility of a European military presence on the island, after the newly installed US President Donald Trump insistently raised the idea of ‘buying’ Greenland – even by force, if necessary.

‘If Denmark calls, France will answer. Europe’s borders are sovereign, whether they are in the north, south, east or west… no one can afford to violate them,‘ said Barrot, pointing out, however, that, at the moment, ‘it is not Denmark’s will to proceed in this sense‘ and that a possible military intervention remains an extreme hypothesis, to be evaluated only in case of necessity.

At the same time, the French minister reported that his EU counterparts, meeting in Brussels on Monday, had expressed their ‘strong support’ for Copenhagen and said they were ‘ready to consider sending troops’ to defend Greenlandic territory if the situation precipitated.

Trump’s escalation and the European response

Greenland, as part of the Kingdom of Denmark and thus a founding NATO country, is at the centre of the ambitions of Trump, who considers control of the island ‘a vital national security objective‘. The area, rich in mineral resources and strategically crucial in the Arctic, attracted US interest already during Trump’s first presidential term, but at the time the Danes rejected without appeal the idea of ceding the territory.

Today, with the New York tycoon back in the White House for just over a week, the nightmare of a possible annexation of Greenland has returned: Trump does not rule out the use of military or economic coercion, as he has repeatedly hinted at in his speeches.

‘This is no longer a joke’: Frederiksen’s warning

Trump’s insistence on such sensitive territory has, however, alarmed Copenhagen and several European governments, who are convinced that the new-old US president wants to strengthen the US military presence in the Arctic, in a game of cross-competition with Russia and China.

Frederiksen herself used harsh tones when explaining the gravity of the situation to her European partners. In a telephone conversation a fortnight ago, the Danish prime minister and Trump reportedly clashed harshly in a 45-minute conversation, where it became clear that the US president ‘meant business’.

In reaction to these ‘increasingly aggressive proposals’, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen embarked on a rapid diplomatic tour among the major European capitals. On Tuesday alone, she travelled to Berlin and Paris, and then met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels. In talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, Frederiksen reiterated the need for Europe to remain united in defence of Greenland.

“I don’t need to make speeches in public.Whatis important is to defend Denmark’s interests decisively, and that is what I am doing now,’ Frederiksen said, adding that ‘respect for the sovereignty of states is a cardinal principle of the post-war world order’.

Scholz, for his part, emphasised that ‘borders must not be moved by force’, recalling the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the importance of holding firm to the principles of international law.

The support of the EU and UK leadership

Other European leaders have also expressed concern: meetings and consultations are planned to discuss relations with Trump and the ‘Greenland question’ at an informal summit of EU heads of state and government scheduled for 3 February in Brussels. This meeting will also be attended by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with a view to better coordination between London and the Union on defence and security.

The strategy of many European countries vis-à-vis the US president has so far been to ignore his more provocative statements and focus on concrete facts and decisions:

“We can’t spend four years responding to every tweet,” commented one European diplomat, suggesting that continuous back-and-forth should be avoided.

However, the planned ‘conquest’ of Greenland now seems impossible to minimise. Diplomatic sources report that, after the initial reaction of ‘bewilderment and disbelief’, the European Union is ‘shifting gears’ and preparing a more energetic plan to support Denmark. In this regard, both Frederiksen and European Council President António Costa confirmed that they had spoken several times to coordinate the steps to be taken. A senior EU official emphasised that Europe is ‘fully and completely behind Denmark and Greenland’ and ready to reaffirm this in every forum.

Greenlanders’ position: ‘We don’t want to be Americans’

In the meantime, 85 per cent of the Greenlandic population has indicated that they are not the slightest bit interested in going under the Star Spangled Banner. This was revealed in a survey commissioned by the local newspaper Sermitsiaq and the Danish Berlingske.

Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede has repeatedly reiterated his desire to maintain the island’s autonomy, even to the point of considering a referendum for independence from Denmark.

“We don‘t want to be Danish. We don’t want to be Americans. We want to be Greenlanders,’ Egede said, claiming full autonomy for his own people.

On paper, Greenland has been an integral part of Denmark since 1953 (it was previously a colony), but in fact it enjoys extensive internal autonomy. Any attempt at ‘purchase’ or forced annexation by the United States would jar with the basic principles of international law and, in addition to being an act hostile to an EU state, would create a deep and unprecedented rift within NATO.

Italian immobility: a silence that makes noise

In the face of this climate of tension, the silence of the Italian government is surprising. From many quarters, it is reported that Rome has not yet taken a clear position either against Trump’s hypothesis or in favour of Denmark. For some observers, this could suggest a dangerous closeness to the American president’s positions; for others, a guilty lack of interest in the Greenlandic affair, despite the fact that Italy has been an observer in the Arctic Council since 2013 and plays a leading role as an energy producing and exporting country, withEni at the forefront.

Italy should instead show a proactive strategy on the Arctic, siding with Denmark and supporting the defence of Greenland, both as a sign of European solidarity and for its own geopolitical interest. A protracted disengagement would end up appearing conniving with US expansionism and contrary to the founding values of the European Union, which is based on the protection of the sovereignty of its territories and respect for international law.

Perspectives and next steps

The focus is now on the upcoming European summits and the choices in Copenhagen. Should Denmark find the support of a sufficient number of member states (and perhaps also the UK), it is not excluded that an even clearer EU position will be reached. For now, the French military option remains on the table at a theoretical level, ready to be discussed should Trump’s threats become more concrete.

Beyond the contingent issue, it is clear that Greenland represents a testing ground for the new world order, in which competition for resources and strategic position in the Arctic is becoming increasingly fierce. And Europe, as the Danish Prime Minister reminds us, has every interest in “remaining united and firm” in order to defend its principles, its sovereignty and respect for international law, principles that are all too often called into question by unscrupulous initiatives such as the one relaunched by the US President.