US Assertions on Greenland and Venezuela Prompt NATO Alliance Concerns

Geopolitical tensions escalated on January 9, 2026, when President Donald Trump declared the United States must secure influence over Greenland, explicitly stating this must occur "whether they like it or not" to preempt Russian or Chinese encroachment in the Arctic region. This assertion followed the US military operation on January 3, 2026, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas during Operation Absolute Resolve. President Trump linked the two territories during a roundtable discussion with oil executives focused on potential investments in Venezuela, framing both as matters of US strategic dominance.

Greenland's political leadership reacted with unified condemnation to the perceived threat of annexation. Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Head of Government and leader of the Demokraatit party since April 2025, issued a joint statement with four other party leaders vehemently rejecting any notion of US control and insisting on the principle of self-determination for the Greenlandic people. Nielsen emphasized that Greenland is "our home" and that the aggressive insinuations must cease. The five political parties in the Inatsisartut, Greenland's parliament, subsequently planned a meeting to formally debate the escalating US threats.

The international reaction, particularly from European allies, centered on the potential destabilization of the NATO alliance. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a stark warning, asserting that a military attack by the US against another NATO country, such as Denmark (which includes Greenland), would result in the cessation of the entire alliance structure, effectively meaning "everything stops," including post-World War II security arrangements. Several NATO nations, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain, issued a coordinated statement affirming that Greenland's future is exclusively a matter for Denmark and Greenland to determine. The European Commission further warned that security interests cannot justify the occupation of an autonomous Danish territory.

The context for these events is rooted in the preceding military action in Venezuela. The January 3 capture of Maduro, who now faces narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges in the Southern District of New York, was justified by the Trump administration as a law-enforcement action. Following the capture, President Trump stated the US would effectively "run" Venezuela until a transition, with US companies slated to finance the rebuilding of the nation's oil infrastructure. This unilateral action in South America heightened European concern that a similar coercive path could be applied to Greenland, which holds significant untapped rare earth deposits and strategic value in the Arctic.

Officials from Denmark, Greenland, and the US met on Thursday to address the renewed push for control, though the White House confirmed that acquiring Greenland remains under active discussion, with diplomacy preferred but military action not ruled out. Analysts suggest the US intention may be to test the resolve of European partners, especially given Greenland's strategic importance astride the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) Gap, vital for monitoring Russian and Chinese submarine activity. Greenlandic leaders reject the demand for outright control, emphasizing their distinct identity: "We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders." The situation raises fundamental questions about the future of international norms regarding sovereignty and the cohesion of the transatlantic security framework.