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Former European Commission Margrethe Vestager cautioned “even for President Trump, for one NATO country to attack another NATO country to acquire territory is really far reaching” in an interview with Euronews as the White House piles on pressure on Denmark to cede the semi-autonomous territory of Greenland “one way or another.”
Vestager, who rose to prominence as EU chief for competition, echoed a severe warning made by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius against a US takeover of the territory rich in critical minerals.
“For one NATO country to attack another NATO country’s territory would be the most existential threat to NATO we have ever seen,” she cautioned, as the US administration increases the pressure on Copenhagen to gain control of the semi‑autonomous Danish territory of Greenland “one way or another. It will happen.”
Trump argues the strategically located territory is crucial to US national security as a counterpoint to Russian and Chinese presence in the Arctic, although Denmark and Greenland have firmly rejected the claims and reiterated that the territory is not for sale.
Polls suggest the vast majority of Greenlanders do not want to belong to the US.
Vestager said existing treaties between the US and Denmark allow for further cooperation on the ground without a transfer of Greenland. She also noted that Copenhagen has a long-established commitment to NATO and global security.
European institutions and member states led by France and Germany have expressed their solidarity, prompting suggestions that a European force modelled after NATO could be deployed to the territory to bolster its security in an attempt to show President Trump that Arctic security is a top priority for them too.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that the alliance is not “in crisis” mode and suggested both countries, Denmark and the US, are working to reinforce security in the Arctic. The Danish prime minister has warned that any move to seize the territory would permanently damage the NATO alliance and the post-WWII security architecture.
When asked about further steps that the European Union could take to assist Denmark and bolster ties with Greenland, Vestager said that the relation could be strengthened through further investments and closer political ties if the Greenlanders choose it.
“These are decisions for the people of Greenland to make. If they ever want to join the European Union again, it’s for them to start that discussion,” she told Euronews.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Danish officials on Wednesday.
Vestager served as economy minister between 2011 and 2014 before her decade-long term as European Commissioner, where she became one of the most known faces of the institutions and one of the most-recognised Danish voices in international circles.
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