The renewed U.S. threats against Greenland are not only an attack on European territory, but a clear test of Europe’s political weakness.

Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a member of the European Union. Any threat to its territorial integrity is therefore a threat to the EU as a whole. Yet, under the current intergovernmental system, there is no certainty that Europe would act collectively or at all in case of an actual attack.

Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union formally commits Member States to mutual assistance in the face of aggression. Politically, however, this remains meaningless. If one government refuses to act, there are no consequences in a Council governed by unanimity. European solidarity in foreign and defence policy is optional, and therefore unreliable.

The recent remarks by the US administration expose the real danger:  Europe is unable to respond as a single political actor. Meanwhile, the international rules-based order is eroding and the limits of the existing security frameworks are becoming visible. 

The threat comes from one NATO member against another. NATO cannot replace a European capacity to act. In the absence of a united European response, collective security gives way to coercion, power politics, and spheres of influence.

Europe does not need more declarations. It needs a federal foreign policy, a credible common defence, and binding decision making beyond national vetoes. Without them, Europe may fall victim to aggressions by self declared great powers, and be carved into subservient spheres of influence.

See our related resolutions here and here. For questions on this, reach out to Dvir.