2 h. ago The transatlantic order is crumbling. Greenland is a moment of great rupture | Christopher S Chivvis

Trump’s demand for Greenland is a throwback to the 1884 Berlin conference: a transaction of land and people driven by a might makes right worldviewThe announcement on 17 January that Washington will impose punitive tariffs of 10% to 25% on eight European allies – unless they facilitate the “complete and total purchase” of Greenland – is likely to be the death knell of the post-1945 transatlantic order. By linking the territorial sovereignty of a Nato ally to trade access, the US has transitioned from Europe’s security guarantor to a 19th-century imperial rent-seeker.This is a moment of profound rupture. For decades, the western world believed that raw imperialism had been relegated to the past among advanced industrial powers. Even China, for all its assertiveness, largely couches its ambitions in the language of revanchism – the “reclaiming” of lost territory. Washington’s current demand for Greenland, by contrast, is a throwback to the age of the 1884 Berlin conference: a transact...

Politics

5 h. ago Danish MP says Stephen Miller should be ‘kept away from young women’ after Greenland comments

A member of the Danish parliament has sparked controversy by claiming White House advisor Stephen Miller should be “kept away from young women” and "has the mentality of a rapist" after Miller suggested the US should take control of Greenland.

Politics

6 h. ago Greenland’s tragedy: the dream of independence now looks like a trap laid by Donald Trump | Rune Lykkeberg

Denmark and its former colony have a complex relationship, but for now they must speak with one voice against US colonial ambitionsThere are two tales about the relationship between Greenland and Denmark; both contain truth and blindness. One is the story told by the ruling classes in Denmark, the other is the narrative that unites progressives and nationalists in Greenland.The moral of the first tale is that Greenland, as a part of the Danish kingdom, has managed the extremely challenging transition to a modern society without sacrificing its culture or identity. This is a rare and impressive achievement. Greenlanders are among the only indigenous people in the world with their own parliament, political institutions and education system and who have maintained their own language. And they have access to the same welfare services as other citizens of Denmark. Continue reading...

Politics

14 h. ago Denmark sends 'substantial contribution' of troops to Greenland amid growing tension with US as Trump refuses to rule out invasion

Denmark has deployed additional troops to Greenland as tensions escalate over President Donald Trump's comments questioning Copenhagen's ability to defend the Arctic territory.

Events

16 h. ago As Trump menaces Greenland, this much is clear: the free world needs a new plan – and inspired leadership | Gordon Brown

The idea that the liberal rules-based order can survive his presidency now seems complacent. This is a historic moment – and a time to actA European-wide chorus of resistance, led this morning by Keir Starmer, has greeted Donald Trump’s plan to take over Greenland, by force if necessary, and to start a tariff war if any country stands in his way. Have no doubt, this is a moment: if pursued as a non-negotiable demand, Trump’s plan ends any lingering hope that the liberal rules-based order can stumble on through his remaining time in office. The real question now is whether the 2020s will be defined by the complete collapse of the order’s already crumbling pillars and the atrocities accompanying it, or whether an international coalition of the willing can come together to build a new global framework in its place.For, in quick succession, the US has abandoned its longstanding championing of the rule of law, human rights, democracy and the territorial integrity of nation states. Gone i...

Politics

29 h. ago Trump says ‘no comment’ when asked if he would use military force to take Greenland

President has increased pressure on Denmark and other US allies to support a deal that would lead to the US acquiring the island

Events

30 h. ago Trump says ‘no comment’ when asked if he would seize Greenland by force – Europe live

The US president said he would “100%” push ahead with his plans to hit European nations with tarrifs if he doesn’t get Greenland.Donald Trump links threats to seize Greenland to Nobel prize snubIn a nod to Trump’s efforts on Ukraine, Starmer says he recognises the US president’s role in pushing for ceasefire there – as he says “we will work closely with the United States, Ukraine and our other allies to apply pressure where it belongs: on Putin.”In his strongest criticism of Trump yet, Starmer goes on to say:A trade war is in no one’s interest, and my job is always to act in the UK’s national interest. Continue reading...

Politics

52 h. ago The Guardian view on Trump and Greenland: get real! Bullying is not strength | Editorial

Tariff threats over the Arctic island expose the limits of coercive diplomacy. Europe’s united response and pushback shows fear is fadingFor all Donald Trump’s bluster about restoring American strength, his attempt to bully European allies over Greenland reveals a deeper weakness: coercive diplomacy only works if people are afraid to resist. Increasingly, they aren’t. And that is a good thing. Bullies often back down when confronted – their power relies on fear. Mr Trump’s threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Europeans unless they acquiesce to his demand to “purchase” Greenland has stripped his trade policy bare. This is not about economic security, unfair trade or protecting American workers. It is about using tariffs as a weapon to force nations to submit.The response from Europe has been united and swift. That in itself should send a message. France’s Emmanuel Macron says plainly “no amount of intimidation” will alter Europe’s position. Denmark has anchored the issue firmly insid...

Politics

53 h. ago If it wasn’t clear before, it is now: Britain needs an escape plan from the Trump world order | Gaby Hinsliff

The US president’s trade war for Greenland tells us that the time for fence-sitting or wishful thinking is overOne way or the other, President Trump said, he will have Greenland. Well, at least now we know it’s the other; not an invasion that would have sent young men home to their mothers across Europe in coffins, but instead another trade war, designed to kill off jobs and break Europe’s will. Just our hopes of an economic recovery, then, getting taken out and shot on a whim by our supposedly closest ally, months after Britain signed a trade deal supposed to protect us from such arbitrary punishment beatings. In a sane universe, that would not feel like a climbdown by the White House, yet by comparison with the rhetoric that had Denmark scrambling troops to Greenland last week it is.That said, don’t underestimate the gravity of the moment.Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Panicking over Greenland plays into Trump’s hands – it’s time for cool heads and stalling diplomacy | Simon Jenkins

European countries sending troops to the island is only raising the temperature and generating fear – exactly what the US president wantsIs Greenland Donald Trump’s 25th-amendment moment? Last time around, this was when the Washington “grownups” debated his capacity to be president, notably in the final fortnight of his presidency, after the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Under the constitution, a president can be replaced should the vice-president and a cabinet majority decide their leader is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office”. The trouble today is that there are no grownups.The US president’s designs on Greenland are clearly mad. He claims Russia and China are scheming to seize the island and that Denmark should be forced urgently to transfer its sovereignty. Denmark had long allowed the US extended military access to Greenland, but Trump seems to want to own it. None of his staff has been able to say why.Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist and the author...

Politics

5 d. ago Here in Greenland we are scared, but certain of one thing: our home is not for sale | Malu Rosing

A summit between Greenland, Denmark and Washington has done nothing to calm our fears as the US steps up its efforts to take control of my countryThe year has started out in familiar fashion for Kalaallit – the people of Greenland. The US president has once again threatened to take control of the world’s biggest island, just like he did back in 2019 and in 2024/25. Yet it feels different this time.This time it seems as if there are more concrete plans being shaped within the Trump administration to annex Greenland. Trump wants to “take” it “whether they like it or not”, as he stated at a recent White House press conference. And the only option he seems to be offering currently is to do it “either the nice way or the more difficult way” – whatever that means. These are obviously plans for the forceful theft of Indigenous land and a self-governing territory; they are loud threats against our democracy – threats that are coming directly from the US president, again and again, through t...

Politics

5 d. ago Whether or not Trump invades Greenland, this much is clear: the western order we once knew is history | Timothy Garton Ash

The EU must be more robust in order to stem the tide of international disorder, or it risks falling to authoritarian imperialismDonald Trump is threatening to take over Greenland, the territory of a Nato ally, possibly by military force, as Vladimir Putin is trying to take over Ukraine. Even if he doesn’t actually do it, this is a new era: a post-western world of illiberal international disorder.The task now for liberal democracies in general, and Europe in particular, is twofold: to see this world as it is and to work out what the hell we’re going to do about it.Timothy Garton Ash is a historian, political writer and Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago US acquisition of Greenland ‘absolutely not necessary,’ says Danish foreign minister after Washington talks – Europe live

Trump claims only US can protect territory and says ‘two dogsleds won’t do it’ as Danish and Greenlandic ministers hold talks with vice-presidentPeople in Greenland: share your views on Trump’s recent commentsUS president Donald Trump has doubled down on his rhetoric on getting control of Greenland, insisting that the US “needs Greenland for the purpose of national security.”In a social media post, Trump claimed that “Nato should be leading the way for us to get it,” and “if we don’t, Russia or China will, and that is not going to happen!”“Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, Nato would not be an effective force or deterrent - not even close! They know that, and so do I.” Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Trump in fresh Greenland outburst as ministers’ talks with Vance last less than an hour – Europe live

President claims only US can protect territory and says ‘two dogsleds won’t do it’ as Danish and Greenlandic ministers hold talks with vice-presidentPeople in Greenland: share your views on Trump’s recent commentsUS president Donald Trump has doubled down on his rhetoric on getting control of Greenland, insisting that the US “needs Greenland for the purpose of national security.”In a social media post, Trump claimed that “Nato should be leading the way for us to get it,” and “if we don’t, Russia or China will, and that is not going to happen!”“Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, Nato would not be an effective force or deterrent - not even close! They know that, and so do I.” Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Trump in fresh Greenland outburst as ministers arrive for talks with Vance – Europe live

President claims only US can protect territory and says ‘two dogsleds won’t do it’ as Danish and Greenlandic ministers hold talks with vice-presidentPeople in Greenland: share your views on Trump’s recent commentsUS president Donald Trump has doubled down on his rhetoric on getting control of Greenland, insisting that the US “needs Greenland for the purpose of national security.”In a social media post, Trump claimed that “Nato should be leading the way for us to get it,” and “if we don’t, Russia or China will, and that is not going to happen!”“Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, Nato would not be an effective force or deterrent - not even close! They know that, and so do I.” Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Greenland is Europe’s credibility litmus test – it must show Trump that aggression carries a price | Fabian Zuleeg

In the new dog-eat-dog world order, appeasement doesn’t work. Time for the EU to grow upFabian Zuleeg is chief executive of the European Policy CentreDonald Trump’s intervention in Venezuela is not a one-off shock. It epitomises his approach of interventionist isolationism based on a revisionist, neo-nationalist agenda in which power is exercised bluntly, international rules are optional and alliances are transactional. In such a dog-eat-dog world, hesitation and ambiguity do not stabilise the system; they become vulnerabilities to be exploited by a volatile and predatory Washington.The seizure of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, combined with Trump’s renewed musings about acquiring Greenland, potentially by using the US military, should dispel any lingering illusion that this is merely erratic behaviour. It reflects a worldview in which sovereignty is conditional, spheres of influence are legitimate, and coercion is normalised when it delivers results in the interest of Trump...

Politics

8 d. ago Trump is ready to grab Greenland. The EU should move first – and offer it membership | Robert Habeck and Andreas Raspotnik

The US president’s threats to the territory show Europe needs a new strategy for its far north: one based on cooperation, not dominationThe new year is still young, yet Donald Trump’s fixation on expanding his homeland signals a troubling geopolitical shift. From Venezuela to Greenland, the world is unmistakably moving away from the relative stability of the post-cold war era – not least also because of Russia’s war against Ukraine.This erosion of long-established norms has severe implications for Europe, a continent whose core political philosophy is built on limiting (national) power. A rules-based order, international law and negotiated solutions lie at the core of Europe’s self-image. Yet in today’s world, Europe can uphold this vision only if it evolves into a more muscular geopolitical actor itself – and nowhere is this more evident than in the Arctic.Robert Habeck served as German vice-chancellor and minister for economy and climate action from 2021 to 2025, and is now workin...

Politics

9 d. ago Taking the temperature in freezing Greenland after Donald Trump's contentious comments

"It’s a sh** show to be honest."

Politics

9 d. ago What unites Greenland, Venezuela and Ukraine? Trump's immoral lies and Europe's chronic weakness | Simon Tisdall

The president’s inability to tell right from wrong fuels his increasingly dictatorial, illegal and erratic behaviour Donald Trump made 30,573 “false or misleading” claims during his first term, according to calculations published in 2021 by the Washington Post. That’s roughly 21 fibs a day. Second time around, he’s still hard at it, lying to Americans and the world on a daily basis. Trump’s disregard for truth and honesty in public life – seen again in his despicable response to the fatal shooting in Minneapolis – is dangerously immoral.Trump declared last week that the only constraint on his power is “my own morality, my own mind”. That explains a lot. His idea of right and wrong is wholly subjective. He is his own ethical and legal adviser, his own priest and confessor. He is a church of one. Trump lies to himself as well as everyone else. And the resulting damage is pernicious. It costs lives, harms democracy and destroys trust between nations.Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign ...

Politics

1 week ago Why is Trump interested in Greenland? Look to the thawing Arctic ice | Gaby Hinsliff

Forecasts suggest that global heating could create a shortcut from Asia to North America, and new routes for trading, shipping – and attackAnother week, another freak weather phenomenon you’ve probably never heard of. If it’s not the “weather bomb” of extreme wind and snow that Britain is hunkering down for as I write, it’s reports in the Guardian of reindeer in the Arctic struggling with the opposite problem: unnaturally warm weather leading to more rain that freezes to create a type of snow that they can’t easily dig through with their hooves to reach food. In a habitat as harsh as the Arctic, where survival relies on fine adaptation, even small shifts in weather patterns have endlessly rippling consequences – and not just for reindeer.For decades now, politicians have been warning of the coming climate wars – conflicts triggered by drought, flood, fire and storms forcing people on to the move, or pushing them into competition with neighbours for dwindling natural resources. For a...

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