Jan 16, 2026, 9:18 p.mJan 16, 2026, 9:18 p.m
In the conflict over US ownership of Greenland, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warns against underestimating the USA. “We have to take seriously the fact that the United States declares that it wants to take control of Greenland,” said Stoltenberg in an interview with “Spiegel”.
He rejects speculation about US President Donald Trump’s possible motives for wanting to annex the island. “I note what Trump and other US officials say: they cite security interests of the United States, and sometimes they talk about natural resources,” said the Norwegian finance minister. “I can only point out that and don’t want to speculate what other potential reasons could be.”
Will NATO survive?
The NATO defense alliance and the EU must now respond clearly to the US President’s threats. “I welcome the fact that there were clear joint statements – from the Nordic states, from Germany, from other European states – that Greenland belongs to Denmark and that they stand behind Denmark,” said Stoltenberg. One should not speculate about possible consequences. “The most important thing now is to prevent further measures.”
With a view to NATO’s long-term survival in the face of its challenges, Stoltenberg said: “Nothing is set in stone, things can change.” It is important to develop measures to ensure the continued existence of transatlantic cohesion, “regardless of whether the United States remains a committed NATO ally or not.” (sda/dpa)