I have always been a pro-European and believed wholeheartedly that Europe should one day distance itself from USA, forging new trade agreements and alliances with all emerging economies and new "powers" of this world. It is in its own best interests, that our continent should be preparing for the inevitable; a multi-polar world.
However, the way I envisioned that happening was that one day, a gifted and visionary group of European leaders would arise and see that Europe cannot forever remain a follower, a sidekick of US interests. That it would be us that would break our dependency on US "protection" and weaning ourselves off their money, military support and influence.
Well, clearly as we have seen since the outbreak of Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine, Europe lacks good leadership and it is increasingly descending into irrelevence and economic decline. To my surprise, it was in fact America under Donald Trump, that created the greatest rift among the traditional alliance between USA and Europe, plus even Canada. We can say that he gave us a "good kick up the backside" as we say in Ireland.
For the past month, US President Trump was insisting on a most absurd idea, that Greenland should become a US territory... Greenland; an autonomous territory of Denmark, a fellow NATO country and an ally of USA. An ally demanding from an allied nation to cede some of its territory, because of US "national security" reasons, or most correctly the whims of an increasingly mentally unstable US President"
That of course would not be the first time that something like that happened in the NATO "alliance", as Turkey's President Erdogan was threatening Greece for years on Twitter (now X platform), with a bombing of Athens or annexation of Greek islands in typical Trump way, plus the two countries have been in dispute over the Aegean for ages, as Erdogan pushes for Turkey’s ‘Blue Homeland’ doctrine. A Turkish "wet-dream" literally, that sees Greece for whatever reason, accepting to cede some of its Greek islands to Turkey. What did the rest of Europe and America do to support Greece? Nothing basically, they just sat there asking for the two countries to "work things out," for now... Until the next time Erdogan wakes up on the wrong side of his bed.
Protests broke up in Denmand and Greenland, to oppose to Trump's annexation plan for the Danish territory while the EU was faced with yet another tariff threating tirade from Trump. Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland, fellow NATO members that have expressed solidarity with Denmark in its refusal to yield to Mr. Trump’s demands, would be subject to 10 percent tariff. "If those nations do not relent", Donald Trump added, the rate will increase to 25 percent on June 1, “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”
In an effort to show support for Denmark and send a message to Trump, a number of European countries decided to send troops to Greenland, in a most bizarre development in NATO history, when we saw alliance members ganging up to protect a territory from another. Somehow I felt justified, when for years I was supporting the view that while Europe is so keen to fend off Russia in the East, it totally made itself vulnerable and exposed at it's own back. We should not be as dependent on USA anymore, simply because as we see in their recent behaviour, they are a country that is going through its own soul searching and internal struggles, which consequently will only use Europe in order to solve them and maintain its grip on our continent and the rest of the world. Somehow "I told you so," never felt so good.
On the other hand, Greenlanders and the Danes, should be a bit more grateful and happy, that they at least got the 15 German soldiers among others from Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK. This is far more than Greece ever got from its "allies" to showcase their support against Erdogan. Now what would this mini force do against America, if it decided to invade Greenland and take the island by force, is another question. Possibly the move was only symbolic. Besides, Germany withdrew its military after just two days, in an effort to explore the conditions for possible military contributions to support Denmark in ensuring security in the region.
And all that chaos and fiasco, just because Trump wanted Greenland for its natural resources, which include rare earth minerals, uranium and iron, plus also potential significant oil and gas reserves.Trump has focused on such resources elsewhere - including in his dealings with Ukraine - but denies they are behind his desire for Greenland. However he has repeatedly described the threat he perceives from Russia and China in the region (excuse me, what?). In one Truth Social post, he wrote: "Nato has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that 'you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland.' Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!"
That ridiculous claim, that America "needs" Greenland for national security and to prevent Russia and China from taking it, was echoed by the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, obviously in an efford to appease Trump and find common ground to solve this impasse among the NATO alliance. However it does not make it any less nonsensical. Greenland is a Danish territory, a country which is in NATO. If for whatever reason China (??) or Russia- which NATO leaders mock that it cannot even take Ukraine after 4 years of war, attempted to invade and take over it is clear that they would have to deal with NATO. If they tried to take over by trade agreements, they would after all have to come to an accord with Denmark too, as although autonomous, Greenland is heavily relying on Denmark and is heavily subsidised by it, to support its economy.
Besides, America has already operated Pituffik Space Base - formerly known as Thule Air Base - since World War Two. The base currently monitors for missiles. They could just secretly and quietly seek to settle another base there or enhance what they already have, in agreement with Denmark and Greenland if they worried so much about NATO security, instead of staging all this parody which made NATO look ridiculous and an utter joke to the world stage. As Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned, a U.S. invasion of Greenland would spell the end of NATO. And it really should, if this happens again.
As of today, Monday the 26th of January 2026, Trump eased off Greenland threats. After negotiations among NATO leaders last week in the Swiss town of Davos and the World Economic Forum, it has been speculated from sources that the US stationing agreement for Greenland is to be reworked and take into account the planned US "Golden Dome" missile defense system that Trump wants to build. The USA should also have a say in investment projects from other countries in Greenland, plus there are also plans to increase the involvement of European NATO states in the Arctic region.
In other words, USA pushes for its own agenda and muzzles in on who will be doing business with who in Europe, just like they did many times before. Their economy is in trouble, their empire needs to expand in order to survive, thus Greenland, Venezuela, Iran are happening now. They want to install more missiles abroad no matter the consequences for others, and then both USA and its "colony" of Europe will cry foul if Russia and China do the same to countries they see as important to them. When will Europe refuse to be manipulated and controlled in such way by USA? Just because our leaders are used to this status since WW2, in which America is the protector and "big daddy" of our continent and we are afraid to invest in our own defense, (who will attack Europe by the way, Russia which "can't take Ukraine after 4 years of war", or perhaps America which also acts as our protector?) and finally map our own destiny to become independent from everyone.
It is a case that the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said it best in Davos. He described of a rupture in the world order, the end of a pleasant fiction and the beginning of a harsh reality, where geopolitics, where the large, main power, geopolitics, is submitted to no limits, no constraints. On the other hand, other countries, especially intermediate powers like Canada, are not powerless. They have the capacity to build a new order that encompasses their values, such as respect for human rights, sustainable development, solidarity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the various states. The power of the less power starts with honesty.
For decades, countries like Canada (and cleary most of Europe) prospered under what we called the rules-based international order. We joined its institutions, we praised its principles, we benefited from its predictability. And because of that, we could pursue values-based foreign policies under its protection.We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false that the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient, that trade rules were enforced asymmetrically. And we knew that international law applied with varying rigour depending on the identity of the accused or the victim.
This fiction was useful, and American hegemony, in particular, helped provide public goods, open sea lanes, a stable financial system, collective security and support for frameworks for resolving disputes. So, we placed the sign in the window. We participated in the rituals, and we largely avoided calling out the gaps between rhetoric and reality. This bargain no longer works. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.
Over the past two decades, a series of crises in finance, health, energy and geopolitics have laid bare the risks of extreme global integration. But more recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited. You cannot live within the lie of mutual benefit through integration, when integration becomes the source of your subordination.
This is the first time the truth is being said by a Western politician and leader, so openly and clearly. Sadly, these words do not come from the mouth of a European, all of them who still opt to boot lick America in a desperate effort to maintain the dying status-quo. It is a shameful and disappointing observation, surely painful to admit. But it is a promising one, since a country like Canada decided to call things by their name. This fiasco is an opportunity for Europe to wake up and take action, but by the looks of it, they will fail once again.
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