Donald Trump has been clear in expressing his intent to acquire Greenland. He has used aggressive tactics, such as threatening tariffs and establishing deadlines. Instead of prioritizing peaceful negotiations, he has made it clear that the U.S. may resort to force to achieve its objective.
The U.S. president believes that Greenland is under threat from countries such as China and Russia. Trump has claimed that the Danish territory is under the influence of these two countries, citing national security and missile defense concerns.
It is important to note that the U.S. already has extensive military rights in Greenland, dating back to the 1951 Defense Agreement, making Trump’s expedited plans for annexation largely unnecessary. Prominent journalist Andrew Neil warned that the U.S. could become one of NATO’s biggest adversaries if it pursues such ambitions toward Greenland. The Scottish journalist also emphasized that claims about Greenland being taken over by China or Russia are baseless.
Andrew Neil, “Under Trump, America is on the brink of becoming the enemy, not our most important ally”
“Europe and Canada will need to start preparing for a NATO without America”
“For all my life Russia has tried to decouple Europe from America and break the north Atlantic… pic.twitter.com/b5SLjpICSc
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) January 19, 2026
As per a Daily Mail report, Neil took to X and wrote, “Trump claims Greenland is under threat from imminent takeover by China and/or Russia. It isn’t, of course. They haven’t seen a Chinese ship up there for 12 years.” He further added, “The United States is on the brink of becoming the enemy as success is staring the Kremlin in the face.”
In another part of his post, Andrew Neil highlighted that without an American presence in NATO, Europe and Canada would be required to shoulder additional defense spending, which would come at a significant cost.
The U.S.’s plans to acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory under Denmark, have sent ripples across the international community. Trump’s declaration that he would follow through on his threats has further strained relations with America’s allies. When asked by NBC News whether he would use force to take control of Greenland, Trump appeared to dodge the question, responding, “No comments.”
For all of my life Russia has tried to decouple Europe from America and break the North Atlantic Alliance. It never succeeded. Instead it lost the Cold War, leaving NATO more powerful than ever.
But now success is staring the Kremlin in the face. All thanks to Donald Trump.…
— Andrew Neil (@afneil) January 19, 2026
European leaders have already condemned Trump’s tariff threats as unacceptable, calling them a violation of allied sovereignty. The proposed 10 percent hike would apply to countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, all of which are NATO member states. The 10 percent increase is set to take effect on Feb. 1 and could rise to 25 percent on June 1 if a deal over Greenland is not finalized.
Additionally, reports claim Trump sent a text message to the Norwegian prime minister over the weekend, stating that his push to acquire Greenland is tied to Norway’s refusal to award him the Nobel Peace Prize.
According to a PBS report, Trump’s alleged text message read, “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.”
NEW: @potus letter to @jonasgahrstore links @NobelPrize to Greenland, reiterates threats, and is forwarded by the NSC staff to multiple European ambassadors in Washington. I obtained the text from multiple officials:
Dear Ambassador:
President Trump has asked that the…
— Nick Schifrin (@nickschifrin) January 19, 2026
Amid these tensions, eight threatened NATO countries released a joint statement indicating their willingness to engage in dialogue. They emphasized commitment to sovereignty, warned that tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations, and pledged a unified response.
The statement read, “Building on the process begun last week, we stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind. Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty.”
