Remarks by US President Donald Trump about claims to Greenland are forcing NATO countries to consider scenarios that until recently were dismissed as implausible. European analysts are increasingly warning that the alliance could enter a phase of internal friction reminiscent of Cold War-era tensions.

For decades, NATO has been viewed primarily as a shield against external threats. Yet experts note that the bloc has always served a broader purpose. The United States acted not only as the alliance’s military backbone but also as an informal arbiter, preventing disputes among allies from escalating into direct confrontations. An unwritten rule took hold: NATO members did not apply coercive pressure on one another and refrained from making territorial claims within the bloc.

Trump’s statements about the need for US control over Greenland, which is part of Denmark, are seen in Europe as a challenge to that tacit understanding. Western commentators and analysts fear that if one NATO country openly pressures another to satisfy territorial ambitions, it could set a dangerous precedent and trigger a chain reaction of internal crises.

One of the most likely flashpoints, analysts say, lies in relations between Turkey and Greece. If the restraining influence of Washington weakens, long-standing disputes-both territorial and historical-could once again dominate the agenda.

Particular concern surrounds the eastern Mediterranean and the Cyprus issue. While the Republic of Cyprus is not formally a NATO member, it enjoys strong backing from Athens. At the same time, the island’s unrecognized northern part remains under Ankara’s protection. Within the logic that experts see behind Trump’s approach to Greenland, Turkey could, at least in theory, frame control over Northern Cyprus as a matter of its own security.

Another area of potential tension involves Greek islands in the eastern Mediterranean that host intelligence infrastructure. Turkish aircraft regularly enter Greek airspace in this region, signaling that Ankara does not consider the issue resolved.

European media have also drawn attention to Turkish claims toward Bulgaria, linked to the construction of border barriers justified as measures to protect the EU from illegal migration.

Taken together, Western analysts argue, these factors suggest that a precedent involving Greenland could undermine NATO’s internal restraint mechanisms and push the alliance back toward an era of overt and covert conflicts among its own members.