Suspects a larger plan behind Trump’s Greenland ambitions: Alain Berset.Image: keystone
Former Federal Councilor Alain Berset, in his role as Secretary General of the Council of Europe, criticized Donald Trump’s plans to take over Greenland in an unusually harsh manner.
January 19, 2026, 1:55 p.mJanuary 19, 2026, 2:30 p.m
From a diplomatic point of view, it is a breach of a taboo: In a guest article in the «New York Times» Alain Berset warns emphatically about Donald Trump’s Greenland fanaticism. The former Swiss magistrate chooses clear words:
“When I took office as Secretary General of the Council of Europe a little over a year ago, I never imagined that I would ever have to write about the possibility that the United States might take military action against a member state.”
Trump wants a return to geopolitical power politics at the expense of international law, writes the former SP magistrate. Trump had announced that he would annex Greenland to the USA, if necessary through pressure or force.
Although the US government cites security interests, according to Berset, these can already be covered by existing military agreements with Denmark.
“The USA has maintained military infrastructure in Greenland for years and could expand its presence without questioning Danish sovereignty. This suggests there is more to it
A test case for world order
The former Swiss Federal Councilor sees Trump’s move as the return of Cold War logic: spheres of influence instead of self-determination, strategic deterrence instead of democratic decisions.
The concern that an independent Greenland could move closer to Russia or China should not be an excuse to undermine international law, emphasizes Berset.
If international law is pushed aside as soon as it becomes inconvenient, trust will be destroyed. And without trust, alliances fall apart, warns Berset. He says:
“International law is either universal – or meaningless.”
Greenland is therefore more than a geopolitical dispute. “It is a test case for the rules-based world order.”
Berset was a member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2012 to 2023 and belonged to the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland. Since 2024, he has been Secretary General of the Council of Europe, which is committed to protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. (km)