Trump’s Greenland Push Strains NATO, Alarms Republicans

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump’s renewed push to seize Greenland has drawn sharp criticism from senior Republicans, who warned it could harm the US economy and strain NATO.

Concerns have been raised that the president’s escalating rhetoric risks alienating close European allies and weakening transatlantic unity at a time of heightened global tensions.

Republican senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski, who visited Denmark to discuss Greenland, condemned Trump’s Saturday threat to impose tariffs on European countries unless the US is allowed to buy the territory.

Murkowski called the proposed tariffs “unnecessary, punitive, and a profound mistake,” warning they would undermine US security and push NATO allies further away, especially after European troops were deployed to Greenland in response to Trump’s Arctic threats.

She added that the fallout is already clear, with NATO allies forced to divert resources to Greenland, playing into Putin’s hands, urging Congress to ensure tariffs are not weaponized to harm alliances or undermine US leadership.

Tillis echoed the criticism, saying Trump’s approach “is bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America’s allies,” adding that pushing to seize allied territory is “beyond stupid” and risks undermining NATO.

Former Vice President Mike Pence warned the administration’s stance “does threaten to fracture… with all of our NATO allies,” noting that “Denmark is a very strong ally of the United States.”

Republican Congressman Michael McCaul warned that any US military action in Greenland could be catastrophic for NATO, saying Trump “has full military access… to protect us” and that a military invasion would “turn NATO on its very head” and risk abolishing the alliance.

Trump has repeatedly claimed US control of Greenland is vital for “national security,” citing Russian and Chinese influence, and has suggested buying it or seizing it militarily.

Senator Rand Paul pushed back, calling it “ridiculous” to treat Greenland as an urgent crisis and saying, “There’s no emergency with Greenland.”

Trump, however, has claimed Denmark can’t reliably defend Greenland against China or Russia, while adding that “something will work out” for the island’s future.

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to stress Republican opposition to any attempt to forcibly seize Greenland, reflecting polling showing most Americans reject such a move.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, however, dismissed the controversy as “a lot of noise to set up a negotiation,” highlighting Greenland’s oil, gas, and other resources as “a huge economic opportunity” and framing Trump’s goals in terms of tourism, economic, mineral, and security rights.