Should Europe get ready for a …dangerously hostile former ally? By Thanos kalamidas

Once again, Donald Trump has managed to turn global diplomacy into a grotesque spectacle, this time by reviving his obsession with Greenland. In his latest speech to Congress, Trump declared, "One way or the other, we’re going to get it," sending shockwaves across Europe and beyond. The sheer arrogance of this statement, its disregard for international law, for diplomacy, for the very notion of sovereignty, should alarm every European leader who still harbors the illusion that the United States, under Trump, is a reliable ally. The time has come to face the uncomfortable truth: the U.S. is no longer a friend to Europe, but a hostile power that must be treated accordingly.

Trump’s fixation on Greenland is not new. Back in 2019, he floated the idea of purchasing the island like some 18th-century colonial power casually deciding which territories to carve up and claim. The idea was met with universal ridicule and outright rejection from Denmark and Greenland’s government. One would think that such a diplomatic humiliation would deter any further attempts, but Trump’s ego and America’s imperial ambitions are not so easily discouraged. Now, with his hands back on the levers of power, he is at it again, only this time, with a darker, more threatening undertone.

The very phrasing "one way or the other" should send shivers down the spine of anyone who understands how these words have played out in history. They are not the words of a responsible leader. They are the words of an empire in decline, desperate to assert dominance through any means necessary. Europe, especially the Nordic countries, should take this threat at face value. The question is no longer whether Trump will follow through on his reckless ambitions, it’s whether Europe will continue to treat Washington as a partner, or finally wake up to the reality that the U.S. has become an aggressor on the world stage.

Denmark, of course, has reaffirmed that Greenland is not for sale. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has stood firm in her response, making it clear that Greenlanders alone will decide their future. But what happens when Trump decides that diplomacy is no longer necessary? What happens when the next phase of this madness takes shape, economic coercion, military intimidation, or some fabricated crisis to justify intervention? The U.S. has done it before. From Latin America to the Middle East, Washington has never hesitated to impose its will when it suited American interests. Why should we believe that Europe is immune?

This is not just a Danish problem. It is not just a Greenlandic problem. It is a European problem. Trump’s rhetoric has made it clear that he does not respect Europe as an equal, nor does he see European nations as sovereign entities worthy of autonomy. To him, they are vassal states, useful as long as they serve American interests, disposable when they resist. His contempt for NATO, his trade wars with European allies, his repeated political sabotage of the EU, all these should have been sufficient warning signs. Yet, Europe continues to treat Trump’s America as if it were still the post-war ally it once was. That illusion must now be shattered.

So what is the European response? Will Europe once again issue some strongly worded statement and then continue as if nothing happened? Will it look to Washington for reassurance, waiting for a more "rational" faction of the U.S. government to restrain Trump? If so, then Europe is sleepwalking into submission. The only real response to Trump’s threats is a European strategy of complete self-reliance. That means breaking free from U.S. military dependence, reinforcing continental defense systems, and investing in technological and industrial independence. Europe must recognize that, under Trump, America is no longer a protector, it is a predator.

Furthermore, European leaders must start treating the Arctic region with the seriousness it demands. The race for control over Arctic resources and shipping routes has already begun, and Greenland is at the heart of it. China and Russia understand this; that is why they are rapidly expanding their presence in the region. The U.S. does too, but instead of competing through diplomacy and cooperation, Trump chooses threats and coercion. If Europe does not take decisive action to secure its own interests, it will soon find itself caught between the ambitions of three superpowers, all of whom are playing for keeps.

The broader implications of this moment are clear. Europe can no longer afford to pretend that the transatlantic alliance is what it once was. The world has changed. The U.S. has changed. The old notions of shared values and mutual respect have been eroded by Trump’s nationalism and America’s growing disregard for its so-called allies. If Europe does not wake up, it will soon find itself as the next victim of America’s "one way or the other" doctrine.

The time for illusions is over. Europe must prepare for the reality of an America that no longer plays by the rules, an America that sees friends as obstacles and diplomacy as weakness. If Trump is willing to threaten Denmark over Greenland, what stops him from treating the entire continent as expendable? The answer is simple: nothing but Europe’s willingness to fight for its own sovereignty. It is time for Europe to stop looking across the Atlantic for leadership and start leading itself.