Experts urge world to take Trump’s Greenland threats seriously

By Serife Cetin and Merve Berker

BRUSSELS/ANKARA (AA) – Experts have warned that US President Donald Trump's renewed interest in Greenland, following a military intervention in Venezuela, should be regarded as a serious threat, pointing to broader patterns in his foreign policy.

Mark Kersten from the University of the Fraser Valley in Canada, Rasmus Sinding Sondergaard, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), and Trita Parsi, vice president of the Quincy Institute, spoke to Anadolu regarding Trump’s recent remarks on Greenland.

Kersten argued that the risk of a US attack on Greenland is real and should be treated as an immediate concern by the international community.

He emphasized that Trump’s approach to international relations appears to challenge the very foundations of international law.

He noted that Trump's admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin during the annexation of Ukraine, support for Israeli actions in the West Bank, and threats of annexation toward Greenland and even Canada should be seen as interconnected rather than isolated events.

According to Kersten, Trump sees any form of weakness as an opportunity to exploit and dominate, making it crucial for states to respond with clear, collective support for the rule of law.

- Internal divisions among European countries

Sondergaard stated that although the prevailing opinion in Copenhagen is that the likelihood of a US military strike on Greenland remains low, such a possibility cannot be ruled out entirely when it comes to Trump, which makes the situation particularly concerning.

He recalled the EU’s call for respect for international law in Venezuela and emphasized that this was the minimum expected reaction.

He also pointed out internal divisions among European countries over how to respond to the use of force by the US without clear legal justification.

- Commitment to international law

Parsi criticized Europe’s stance, claiming that most European states have already abandoned their commitment to international law, particularly evident in their handling of the Gaza crisis. He argued that by failing to fully denounce such clear violations, they have completed this detachment, warning that this passive attitude could eventually backfire.

He suggested that if Trump were to proceed with efforts to annex Greenland, many countries in the Global South might respond to Europe with the same rhetorical strategies, claiming to be monitoring the situation while avoiding legal discussions.

In his view, Europe would face the consequences of its own inaction.

Trump has repeatedly insisted that Greenland should be under US control, calling it a strategic necessity and a critical asset for defending the free world.

His remarks have drawn criticism from both Greenlandic and international leaders.

In one of his latest statements, Trump described Greenland as a highly strategic location and claimed it is currently surrounded by Russian and Chinese vessels.

In response, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Trump's repeated expressions of interest in Greenland must be taken seriously while urging the US president to "stop the threats."

She added that if the US were to launch a military attack on another NATO country, it would put an end to everything, including the security that has existed since the Second World War.

A day after the US military operation in Venezuela that captured President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, Trump renewed his call for a takeover of Greenland in the interest of "national security."

“We need Greenland, from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” he had said when asked about any potential US action against Greenland.

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and has repeatedly rejected proposals suggesting any transfer of sovereignty to the US.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said they wished to maintain dialogue with the US through appropriate diplomatic channels.