Amid rising tensions between the US and Europe over Donald Trump’s interest in purchasing Greenland, NATO chief Mark Rutte has delivered a significant message.
Trump has been vocal about his desire for the US to acquire Greenland, with reports even suggesting he considered a military approach if his offers were rejected by Denmark. This ambition has understandably unsettled European leaders, who are keen to prevent US control over the island, the largest in the world.
Concerns escalated to the point where Donald Tusk, Poland’s Prime Minister, remarked that Trump’s success in this venture would signal “the end of the world as we know it.”
“An attempt to take over (part of) a NATO member state by another NATO member state would be a political disaster,” he stressed at a press event earlier this month, warning of the severe implications such an action would have on NATO’s foundational solidarity.
The proposal has met with resistance from various European nations, leading some leaders to propose that Europe consider creating an independent military force, separate from the US, despite their NATO alliance.
However, Mark Rutte has been quick to reject this notion, advising proponents of this idea to ‘keep dreaming.’ He emphasized that such a move would be welcomed by Vladimir Putin.
In a speech at the European Parliament in Brussels, Rutte stated, as reported by Reuters: “I think there will be a lot of duplication and I wish you luck if you want to do it, because you have to find the men and women in uniform — they’ll be on top of what is happening already.”
“It will make things more complicated. I think Putin will love it. So think again.”
He further elaborated: “If anyone thinks here… that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the US, keep on dreaming. You can’t. We can’t. We need each other.”
Rutte cautioned those considering a separate military: “You have to build up your own nuclear capability — that costs billions and billions of euros. You will lose then, in that scenario … the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the US nuclear umbrella. So hey, good luck.”