US military takeover of Greenland would end NATO, says EU defense commissioner

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — Members of the Danish armed forces practice looking for potential threats during a military drill as Danish, Swedish and Norwegian home guard units together with Danish, German and French troops take part in joint military drills in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, Sept. 17, 2025. (REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane)

By Johan Ahlander

SALEN, Sweden  -  It would be the end of NATO if the U.S. took Greenland by force and European Union member states are under obligation to come to Denmark's assistance if it was faced with military aggression, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space said on Monday.

Trump has said the U.S. must own Greenland, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, to prevent Russia or China

occupying the strategically located and minerals-rich Arctic territory, arguing U.S. military presence there was not enough.

Both Greenland and Denmark have said that Greenland is not for sale but Trump has not ruled out taking it by force.

"I agree with the Danish Prime Minister that it will be the end of NATO, but also among people it will be also very, very negative," Commissioner Andrius Kubilius told Reuters at a security conference in Sweden.

Kubilius also said that the European Union Treaty article 42.7 obliged member states to come to Denmark's assistance if faced with military aggression.

"It will depend on very much on Denmark, how they will react, what will be their position, but definitely there is such an obligation of member sates to come for mutual assistance if another member state is facing military aggression," he said.

 (Reporting by Johan Ahlander; Editing by Toby Chopra // REUTERS)