Opinion Trump’s Greenland push needs a pushback from Europe

Denmark lost 43 soldiers in NATO’s war in Afghanistan — more per capita than any other ally. That sacrifice, of course, counts for little with US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to seize Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, “one way or the other”. What once sounded like bluster is hardening into policy: a deadlocked meeting involving leaders from Greenland and Denmark and US Vice President J D Vance followed by the announcement of fresh US tariffs on eight European nations unless they back Washington’s bid to grab Greenland. That the sovereignty of a nation is little more than a bargaining chip is deeply troubling, though such niceties have long gone out of Trump’s gilded window.

European troops from Germany, France, Norway and Sweden have since arrived in Greenland to bolster security, while US and Danish officials propose a “working group” on defence concerns. Article 5 of NATO commits members to collective defence: An attack on one is an attack on all. If Washington presses its threat, would Copenhagen invoke Article 5 against the US? Asked whether he would choose Greenland or NATO, Trump told The New York Times, “I don’t want to say that to you, but it may be a choice.” Having already riven the alliance over Russia, Trump is weaponising tariffs and ambiguity to squeeze Denmark into concessions on Greenland. What exactly Washington wants from Copenhagen — more leverage or outright surrender — remains opaque but the trajectory is clear. Even as Trump has forced trade deals from many, his latest power play drives the US-Europe relationship into another downward spiral. Strong-arm tactics win short-term concessions but they also accumulate resistance. A superpower that treats partners with the contempt that Trump has may find itself pushing against a harder wall.

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For New Delhi, this frames a fresh challenge. India and Europe are moving closer to signing their trade agreement any day now. US Ambassador Sergio Gor has hit the ground running making all the right noises. A sharp escalation in transatlantic tension will cast a shadow over both these negotiating tables. India should hold firm, secure its interests first by closing the EU deal and a balanced agreement with the US. Lectures about the “rules-based order” or this-is-not-the-era-of-war wisdom may not move Trump but consistency and standing firm will. In a world order that changes by the day, India’s strategic compass must be ever finely tuned. Europe will decide how to push back against Trump’s brinkmanship. India, meanwhile, should keep its head down and its options open even as it lets it be known, diplomatically but unequivocally, that tariffs are not the same thing as sovereign territory.