Thursday, 8 January 2026
Can Europe stand up to Trump?
At some point Europe is going to have to do more than flatter Trump and plead with him not to do anything to disrupt or damage the Transatlantic alliance. Trump's threat to take over Greenland is now the gravest issue for Europe and the US to sort out. Obviously there is not going to be a war over Greenland. Stephen Miller, the very outspoken White House deputy chief of staff and Trump loyalist extraordinaire, has made it clear that no one can stop the US from seizing Greenland. He's right of course, but I doubt even Miller believes it's the right option: military action against poor old Greenland which has a population of 57,000, none of whom are in military uniform. They rely on the huge Danish army of 9,000 soldiers to protect them. So, there absolutely won't be a war over Greenland, let alone a military confrontation between the US and Denmark, both founding members of Nato. But with the option of force as maximum leverage, will Denmark just cave in and let Trump have his way? Next week Marco Rubio, US secretary of state and possibly the busiest man on the planet right now, is going to Denmark to lay out the options they face, all of which will end up with Greenland becoming American or more American than it currently is, with the US base in the northwest tip. If Denmark sends Rubio back to Washington with a flea in his ear, Trump could get angry. This is when Europe as a whole and Nato specifically must group together in the strongest possible way and tell Washington Greenland stays as it is, but please expand the base you already have if you want. And maybe, have mining rights for the rare earth minerals which he wants. But no way will it become an annexe of the US. That's it. Will Europe have the gumption?
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