OPINION

The first year of the second Trump administration has been filled with a torrent of domestic and global initiatives, many of which have created great controversy.

However, President Trump’s recent threats to use the U.S. military to take Greenland and the use of economic coercion on European Union countries to take ownership of the island may have lasting global impact.

Two-thirds of Greenland sits above the Arctic Circle, less than 1,000 miles from the North Pole. Its strategic location helps protect North America from missiles or plane attacks coming from countries such as China, Russia, and North Korea.

Since 1951, the United States has operated Pittufik Space Base (formerly Thule) under a defense agreement with Denmark. The agreement provides broad rights for the U.S. to build additional military facilities in Greenland.

In his speech Wednesday to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would not use force to take Greenland.

Later in the day, he stated he would not impose tariffs on European Union countries that opposed Trump taking Greenland by force, and that there is a framework of a deal.

It appears that the United States is now on a path to reach agreement with Denmark on addressing our security interest in the Arctic.

It is important to understand that leading up to this week's events, the world was staring into an abyss.

First, if the United States decided to use force in Greenland, it would be attacking a NATO ally. Greenland is part of NATO as a territory of Denmark.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is the most powerful military alliance in the history of the world, would be damaged.

It has protected ONE billion people for more than 75 years.

With a U.S. attack on an ally, NATO would be severely weakened, even if it continued to exist, which would threaten the long-term security of its members.

Second, Russia would be emboldened to continue its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Europeans live in great fear of a Russian takeover of Ukraine and whether their country will be next.

Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov wasted no time using the potential of US military action in Greenland as a justification for Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea from Ukraine.

He declared, 'Crimea is no less important for the Russian Federation than Greenland is for the United States."

During my time as ambassador to Denmark, I understood the distance from Copenhagen to Kyiv is about the same as Boston to Chicago.

Their war is close to other European borders.

If Trump acted against a NATO ally, other countries would question the willingness of the United States to meet its commitments.

This will send a message to the world that the United States

isn’t a reliable ally.

China will get the message loud and clear that the US won’t intervene if China acts on Taiwan and their plans have no doubt been accelerated by a potential U.S. takeover of Greenland.

While the United States is building chip factories across the nation to ensure our domestic supply, Taiwan factories continue to produce more sophisticated chips that are two generations ahead of the United States.

Recent polls show that Americans overwhelmingly oppose military action in Greenland. Americans understand the difference between a NATO ally and Venezuela, a brutal, corrupt government aligned with our adversaries.

Third, European Union countries have been clear that military action against Greenland would affect trade. U.S. tariffs against the EU would be met with retaliatory tariffs.

This nearly $1.9 trillion trading relationship is the largest in the world. It represents more than five million jobs in the United States, which would be at risk with tariffs.

As we now appear to be proceeding to a resolution of the crisis over Greenland, questions are being widely raised about the long-term damage to the U.S./EU trading relationship.

I don't question that there has been damage, at least in the short run, but our focus needs to be on moving forward. It's in this way we can rebuild and strengthen our alliances.

Alan M. Leventhal served as U.S. ambassador to Denmark from July 2022 to January 2025.