The ice has broken: Greenland accelerates EU defense plans
The resonant statements by US President Donald Trump about the annexation of Greenland have become an alarming signal for the European Union. Brussels is once again thinking about its own security and the degree of dependence on the United States. Among the proposals is to create its own army of 100,000 troops. Experts warn that divisions are growing within the EU, and the idea of a unified army remains far from being realized. What the Arctic dispute can lead to is in the Izvestia article.
The Arctic is a test for the EU
"Do you know what their defense consists of? Two dog sleds. Meanwhile, there are Russian destroyers and submarines everywhere, as well as Chinese destroyers and submarines," said US President Donald Trump, answering a question about whether the United States had made a political offer to Greenland.
The dog sleds mentioned by Trump belong to the elite unit of the Danish Navy, the Sirius patrol, which is part of the Joint Arctic Command. Since 1941, it has been responsible for the security of the northeastern part of the island.
The UK and German authorities have already expressed support for Denmark. Among the proposals is to create a joint NATO mission "Arctic Guardian" in the region. At the same time, both countries are trying to maintain a cautious tone in their relations with Washington in order to avoid direct confrontation with the Trump administration.
However, the experts interviewed by Izvestia agree: the EU has nothing to oppose the United States. Moreover, in recent years, Brussels has transferred a significant part of its military resources to Kiev. So, in 2025, €27 billion was allocated to help Ukraine, and Denmark spent €1.2 billion for these purposes.
Against this background, the issue of its own defense is becoming more and more urgent for Brussels. Donald Trump's harsh statements about territorial claims to Greenland have increased doubts about the stability of the former security system. EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Affairs Andrius Kubilius said he was not sure if Trump was interested in preserving the current architecture of NATO.
"Today it is even more obvious that we need to build Europe's strategic independence," Kubilius stressed.
According to official data from the US command, at the beginning of 2025, there were almost 84 thousand American troops in Europe. Kubilius suggests replacing them with 100,000 Europeans.
He did not explain a clear mechanism for attracting military personnel, but added: "We must invest in such a way that we can fight as a united Europe, and not as a collection of 27 national dwarf armies."
In addition, Kubilius proposed the establishment of the European Security Council, a permanent and rotating body of the leading EU states that could deal with key issues of regional defense. In his opinion, the United Kingdom should also be involved in the work of such a format.
The issue has been resolved
If the United States seizes the island by force, a dangerous precedent will be set in the Western bloc. For the European Union, this would mean that no state can consider itself fully protected if its interests conflict with those of Washington. At the same time, experts interviewed by Izvestia agree that Trump's statements about the annexation of the island should be taken seriously.
For the American administration, this issue has already been resolved: the result is clear to them, and only a set of scenarios is being discussed on how to implement the decision. That is why we can say that the topic of Greenland is closed to the United States on the level of principle," says Natalia Eremina, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor at St. Petersburg State University.
According to her, Trump is really ready to consider a military option. At the same time, we may not be talking about protracted military operations, but about a quick and tough solution to the issue. Moreover, Washington understands that the EU forces in the Arctic region will not be able to put up effective resistance.
At the same time, as Andrei Kortunov, the scientific director of the INF Treaty, notes in an interview with Izvestia, a non-military scenario of establishing control over the island looks more likely. It may include stimulating internal processes in Greenland itself, such as movements for increased autonomy or independence, as well as financial mechanisms aimed at both the island's population and Denmark.
— The United States already has examples of associated territories with a special status — Puerto Rico, Guam, and Micronesia. These territories are not states, but they are part of American jurisdiction and are under the control of Washington. It is possible that a similar model may be considered for Greenland. In this context, it is the non—military scenario of establishing control over the island that looks most likely," the expert concluded.
According to him, the EU may try to delay the discussion of the Greenland issue in the expectation of a change of the White House administration and a possible removal of the topic from the agenda. However, it is unclear whether it will be possible to gain time in this way.: Donald Trump, apparently, does not intend to postpone this issue.
The price of addiction
For Brussels, what is happening is becoming a serious challenge. Until now, European countries have assumed that American security guarantees, the US military presence and the NATO "umbrella" are permanent and unshakable.
— The situation around Greenland has become the first case of such an open territorial dispute between the United States and an EU and NATO member state. In these circumstances, supporters of strategic autonomy and even full defense independence of the European Union have received clear and weighty arguments in favor of their position," explains Andrei Kortunov.
At the same time, it is impossible to quickly implement such autonomy, the Izvestia interlocutor continues. This will require a change in the overall political culture within the EU and large-scale investments in the defense industry. This will have to be done in conditions of limited financial resources and against the background of other serious challenges facing the European Union.
Efforts to form a unified army run the risk of encountering serious difficulties, agrees Natalia Eremina. According to her, first of all, we are talking about fundamental disagreements within the European Union: which contingents each country should allocate, where they will be deployed and who will exercise command. And the issue of the leadership of this army rests on competition, primarily between France and Germany.
"In addition, the European Union retains states that adhere to a neutral status, such as Austria," the expert points out. — Do not forget about the countries that openly oppose the increase in defense spending, for example Hungary. So there are still no answers to many key questions of European defense. And in the current state, the EU is hardly ready to formulate them.
Against this background, the most realistic scenario for the near future remains the desire of a number of European countries to strengthen bilateral relations with Washington, Kortunov notes.
— We are now seeing that a whole group of European countries is trying to strengthen bilateral relations with Washington, bypassing Brussels. This is exactly what the United States will be betting on. They will prefer to deal with individual countries rather than the European Union as a whole. Let's see what happens. So far, one thing is for sure: European self—sufficiency in the military field is definitely not a matter of the very near future.
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