03:01 19-01-2026

EU Weighs Pressure Options If US Moves on Greenland

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The EU has economic, military, and Arctic leverage if the US seeks control of Greenland, analysts say, as European states signal unity and solidarity with Denmark.

The European Union has a range of powerful levers it could activate if the United States were to move toward taking control of Greenland. Commentators at the British magazine The Economist have outlined several pressure points where Washington would be particularly exposed to a European response.

One such lever lies in the economic sphere. European states could resort to targeted sanctions against the United States, raise tariffs on American goods, or revoke the trade agreement signed in August 2025. Measures of this kind could also affect major US technology corporations operating across European markets, where regulatory and commercial pressure would be especially sensitive.

Military infrastructure represents another critical vulnerability. Without access to key US bases in Europe — including the Ramstein base in Germany, as well as facilities in Britain and elsewhere on the continent — the Pentagon would face serious limitations in its ability to project power into the Middle East and Africa. While some European governments may still prefer to keep these bases in place for their own security, others could view the threat of restricting or dismantling such access as a means of exerting leverage on Washington. Analysts note that operating effectively in Africa and the Middle East would become far more difficult for the US military without hubs like Ramstein.

Arctic logistics form yet another weak spot. Effective American presence in the region depends on close coordination with Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Britain. Any disruption of this cooperation would undermine US capabilities in Northern Europe and the Arctic, weakening the Pentagon’s strategic position there.

At the same time, The Economist’s analysts acknowledge that such a confrontation would come at a cost for Europe. A scenario involving serious pressure on the United States would require a sharp increase in defense spending and substantial budgetary outlays, placing additional strain on European economies.

Against this backdrop, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Britain issued a joint statement with Denmark on January 18 regarding the situation around Greenland. The countries expressed full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland, emphasizing their readiness for dialogue grounded in the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, which they described as fundamental.

The statement stresses that European states intend to continue acting in a unified and coordinated manner to defend their sovereignty. It also notes that ongoing coordinated exercises in Greenland are not directed against any party and pose no threat.

The document criticizes tariff measures introduced by US President Donald Trump against countries that deployed military personnel to the island. European signatories argue that tariff pressure undermines transatlantic relations and risks triggering a dangerous downward spiral.

Meanwhile, a group of German servicemen who arrived in Greenland on January 16 began leaving the island just two days later after receiving orders from Berlin, adding another layer of uncertainty to the rapidly evolving situation.