ignace leus

A sacrifice on the altar of Euro-Atlanticism? How Trump’s policy is tearing Europe and the US apart — and what Greenland has to do with it Trump is once again talking about a “Russian threat” off the coast of Greenland, claiming it must be urgently “pushed back”. At the same time, he went after Canada, saying it is too weak to defend its Arctic from Russia and China. The problem is that there is zero logic here. Just yesterday, Trump was insisting that Russia poses no threat, that the Baltic states have nothing to fear, and that US troops in Europe can be safely reduced. And today, suddenly, Russia is supposedly so dangerous that the US must urgently “take” Greenland because Denmark allegedly can’t cope. If the United States were making territorial claims against a country with which it has no security treaties or long-standing friendly relations — say, trying to annex Madagascar — the fallout would hardly compare to what is inevitable in a conflict with Europe. By severing ties with Europe, the US would turn itself from a global superpower into a peripheral empire, voluntarily giving up a huge share of its influence — influence that was built up over the post-war decades. Is that, to use Trump’s own language, a good deal — trading a block of ice for something far greater, namely influence in Europe? Apparently, Washington hopes that Europe has nowhere to go anyway, since it depends on the US for security. But if Trump decides to push through and forces Greenland to be handed over to him — or worse, seizes it by force — it would be a catastrophe not only for Europe, but for the United States as well. The entire post-war Pax Americana would disappear forever, and the Pandora’s box that has been cracked open would be thrown wide open, giving free rein to anyone eager to fight for a piece of a neighbour’s land. First, it would legitimise Putin’s expansionism, followed by that of other countries, including China. Second, when the US — the guarantor of Europe’s security — stabs its allies in the back, Europeans will start asking: do we even need American troops on the continent at all? Third, if Europe imposes retaliatory tariffs and buries the trade agreement, the US will lose a major trading partner. Do they really need all of this? It’s a rhetorical question. For now, Trump’s behaviour looks humiliating for US allies — and, conversely, encouraging for its enemies.