The United States’ renewed push over Greenland is exposing deeper strains in transatlantic relations, as analysts warn Washington’s approach reflects long-standing unilateral tendencies that could test NATO unity and Europe’s influence.
Speaking to AnewZ’s Inside Politics programme, Senior Editor at Issue Insight, John Kavulich said Washington’s approach reflects decades of selective interpretation of international law by major powers.
“It’s not new; it’s a continuation,” he said, arguing that states have long “massaged” legal frameworks to suit their own interests when challenged. In that sense, Kavulich noted, the current standoff fits a familiar pattern rather than a sudden shift.
Trump, he added, has simply “turbocharged” this behaviour, showing little concern for reputational costs so long as U.S. economic strength, military power and market dominance remain decisive tools of leverage.
From this perspective, analysts say, pressure tactics such as tariffs, sanctions and visa restrictions are seen in Washington as effective instruments rather than liabilities.
The implications, however, extend well beyond diplomacy. Ivani Vassoler, a professor at State University, warned that the Greenland dispute could have serious consequences for NATO cohesion at a sensitive moment for the alliance.
“Denmark is a NATO member, and many European allies are deeply uncomfortable with what they perceive as a threat coming from the United States itself,” she said.
According to Vassoler, such unease risks undermining collective defence priorities and could spill over into financial markets, particularly as uncertainty grows over how far the dispute might escalate.
She also pointed to signs of domestic unease in Washington, noting that several Republican senators have voiced opposition to any notion of forcibly taking control of Greenland.
With President Trump expected to raise the issue during his visit to Europe for the World Economic Forum in Davos, analysts say the episode may become a broader test of how far U.S. power can stretch within the transatlantic system before resistance hardens, both among allies abroad and within the United States itself.
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France and Canada opened new consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Friday, stepping up their Arctic presence in a show of support for Denmark, a NATO ally, amid renewed demands by U.S. President Donald Trump to acquire the strategically located territory.
Greenland registered its warmest January on record, sharpening concerns over how fast-rising Arctic temperatures are reshaping core parts of the island’s economy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
“This is a strategic wake-up call for all of Europe” French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Wednesday, 28 January, as he hosted Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s premier, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, in Paris to reaffirm France’s support for Greenland’s sovereignty.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised American freestyle skier Hunter Hess after the athlete said he felt conflicted about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics in Italy, sparking a public clash that highlights growing political tensions surrounding the Games.
U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn underwent surgery in an Italian hospital on Sunday after her attempt to win Olympic downhill gold ended in a violent crash just seconds into the race at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
Several avalanches struck northern Italy on Saturday, killing at least three people, as rescue officials warned the death toll could rise with unstable conditions persisting across the Alps.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Saturday after completing a round of talks with Iran.
Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight on Saturday, marking the second such strike in less than a week, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Pressure is mounting on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid resignations and a row over Peter Mandelson, a powerful figure in the ruling Labour Party. The episode has raised doubts about Starmer’s authority and how firmly his own party continues to back him.
Chinese authorities have quietly signalled a shift in strategy, instructing some state-owned banks to rein in their purchases of U.S. government bonds.
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Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has accused Afghanistan’s authorities of fostering conditions “similar to or worse than pre-9/11”, as tensions between the two neighbours intensify amid a surge in militant attacks inside Pakistan.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down, saying that “the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.”
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