Tusk Warns US Pressure on Greenland Undermines NATO’s Purpose

By Staff, Agencies

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that NATO risks losing its purpose if tensions erupt between its own members, responding to renewed US rhetoric about taking control of Greenland from Denmark.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Tusk backed Copenhagen in the dispute with Washington, stressing that no alliance member should threaten or act against another.

“If conflict or mutual conflicts were to arise within the alliance, NATO would lose its meaning,” Tusk said. While emphasizing that Denmark can rely on Europe’s solidarity, he also cautioned that transatlantic relations—the backbone of NATO and European security—must be preserved in the months ahead.

Tusk’s comments followed a joint statement by Poland, Denmark, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain addressing the Greenland issue. The group argued that Arctic security should be handled collectively within NATO, while acknowledging the United States as an essential partner. The statement underscored that Greenland’s status is a matter solely for Greenland and Denmark to decide.

The latest dispute flared after Washington again signaled its desire to bring Greenland under US control, citing national security concerns and competition in the Arctic with Russia and China. In an interview published Sunday, President Donald Trump said the US “absolutely” needs Greenland because of its strategic location.

Danish and Greenlandic leaders swiftly rejected the remarks. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged Washington to stop threatening a “historically close ally,” warning that such actions would effectively spell the end of NATO. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, denounced what he called Trump’s “superpower rhetoric” as unacceptable and insulting, writing on Facebook: “No more fantasies of annexation.”