What began as a peripheral issue exploded into a strategic confrontation over Greenland this week, transforming the mood in Davos and threatening to overshadow the war in Ukraine.
While US President Donald Trump’s statements on Greenland dominated headlines and panel debates, officials from NATO, and Kyiv repeatedly warned that the shift in attention risks playing directly into Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s hands.
Greenland shock resets the Davos agenda
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters in Davos that the Trump administration expects allies to understand that “Greenland needs to be a part of the United States.”
He reminded journalists that the US had purchased the US Virgin Islands from Denmark during World War I, adding:
“I will remind everyone that Denmark remained neutral during World War I. They actually sold quite a bit [of land] to the Germans.”
The remarks triggered strong reactions among European and Canadian officials, who warned that the issue risked undermining transatlantic unity.
Canada: “We are in the midst of a rupture”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney used his Davos appearance to reflect on the erosion of the post-war global order, arguing that long-standing assumptions about rules-based governance had masked deeper inequalities.
“We knew that the story about the rules-based order was partially false. We knew that international law was applied with varying rigor depending on the identity of the accused and the victim,” Carney said.
“This fiction was useful… so we placed the sign in the window. We participated in the rituals. And we largely avoided calling out the gaps between rhetoric and reality.”
Carney warned that this compromise no longer holds:
“This bargain no longer works. Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.”
Macron: “A world without rules”
French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the global system was sliding toward instability, describing an era in which international law was being “trampled” and replaced by raw power.
“It’s clearly a very concerning time,” Macron said, pointing to what he described as an increasingly aggressive Trump foreign policy.
Macron added that trade agreements imposed under the threat of tariffs:
“Undermine our export interests, demand maximum concessions and openly aim to weaken and subordinate Europe.”
“We need more stability in this world, but we do prefer respect to bullies,” Macron said.
“Having a place like Europe, which sometimes is too slow, and needs to be reformed but which is predictable, loyal, and where you know that the rule of the game is just the rule of law, it’s a good place.”
Nordic and other EU voices push back
Sweden’s Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson called White House pressure over Greenland “sad and totally absurd.”
“We have an American president who is blackmailing the rest of us, trying to get a piece of land or buy it through threats. It’s a new low.” Svantesson said.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde questioned whether Washington’s behavior was compatible with alliance politics.
“When you are allies under the North Atlantic Treaty, when you have been allies for decades… threatening to seize territory that is clearly not for sale, such as Greenland, is not really behaving like an ally,” Lagarde said.
NATO: Ukraine cannot be sidelined
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged that the alliance was working behind the scenes to manage tensions over Greenland but stressed that the issue must not divert attention from Ukraine.
“You can be assured that I’m working on this issue behind the scenes, but I cannot do it in public,” Rutte said.
He warned against complacency on Ukraine:
“The focus on Ukraine should be the number one priority. It is crucial for European and US security.”
“If we Europeans here in NATO think that because of the €90B [$106B], or because a peace process seems to be moving in the right direction, we can forget about the defense of Ukraine – don’t. They need our support now, tomorrow, and the day after.”
Notably, former NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, speaking to AFP on Tuesday, described the Greenland controversy as a strategic distraction.
“Everybody’s now talking about Greenland, which is not a real threat to North Atlantic security,” Rasmussen said.
“Russia’s attack against Ukraine is the real threat, and attention should not be distracted from this.”
Kyiv: unity is essential
Ukraine’s Presidential Office Head Kyrylo Budanov cautioned against unrealistic expectations while stressing the need for sustained Western unity.
“Peace in Ukraine will not come tomorrow, but we are moving forward,” he said. “It would be dishonest to promise that peace will come immediately, even though enormous efforts are being made…If I had to describe our current situation in one phrase, I would call it cautious optimism.”
Budanov emphasized that negotiations with the Kremlin from a position of weakness are impossible:
“That is why continued unity and support from our partners is critically important – from military assistance to political influence at the community level. Any discord among partners only plays into the enemy’s hands.”
Budanov also warned of Russia’s growing dependence on China:
“The stronger the sanctions pressure becomes, the deeper Russia falls into China’s embrace. We are now witnessing the de facto absorption of the Russian Federation by China.”
“Yes, Beijing has not supplied Russia with a single unit of finished weapons – that is a fact. However, it is skillfully exploiting Russia’s weakness, absorbing it economically and expanding its political influence. The Russians understand this, and for them, it is painful.”