Any attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo in Greenland would be “disastrous” and represent a “direct challenge to NATO,” Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned in a Monday interview.
The Prime Minister’s comments come amid escalating tensions between Washington and its European allies. “This could prove to be the final straw in our increasingly strained relationship with the US,” Mitsotakis stated. “Greenland is an integral part of the Kingdom of Denmark—a fact that is beyond question.”
Greece’s balancing act on Greenland
While firm on the issue of sovereignty, Mitsotakis acknowledged American concerns regarding regional stability. He noted that the US is “right to assert that northern nations must bolster Arctic security.”
He suggested that current treaties already provide a framework for the US to “expand military facilities in Greenland, deploy additional personnel, and engage in economic partnerships,” provided these actions respect Danish sovereignty.
United European front
Earlier this month, Mitsotakis joined a chorus of European leaders in a unified declaration: Greenland’s future is a matter exclusively for the Danish and Greenlandic people. The Prime Minister underscored that the Arctic is a vital pillar of transatlantic security that must be managed through the NATO framework and in strict accordance with the UN Charter.
“Our shared responsibility as NATO allies is to uphold the principles of sovereignty and collective security,” Mitsotakis remarked. “This duty is as vital in the strategic waters of the Arctic as it is in the Mediterranean or on the plains of Ukraine.”
Escalating trade tensions
The diplomatic friction follows renewed assertions by US President Donald Trump regarding the acquisition of the self-governing territory. The situation took a sharp turn toward a trade war on Saturday, when the Trump administration announced a 10% import tax, effective February, targeting eight nations—including Greece—that have publicly sided with Denmark in the dispute.
Related: Europe Unites Against Trump’s Greenland Threat
