Why should the U.S. continue to have access to these bases, or receive support from allies’ naval assets, air forces, or even intelligence services, if it tries to take sovereign territory from a NATO member like Denmark?
The question is so sensitive that diplomats are at pains to keep it away from the mainstream debates between governments in the summit rooms of the EU or NATO. But five officials and diplomats confirmed to POLITICO that the highly sensitive topic of how to punch back against Trump is being discussed privately across the continent.
Aside from Europe’s military assets, the U.S. also relies on Europe as a key trade partner and European governments spend many billions of dollars every year buying American weapons. All of these offer potential leverage if European customers decide to stop shopping in the U.S.
The big risk, some officials say, is that such a blunt challenge would rapidly escalate into a full-blown rupture in the transatlantic relationship. Others argue that the alliance is increasingly toxic under Trump and that Europe needs to move on.
The closest any leader has come to warning of retaliation was in cryptic remarks from Emmanuel Macron, the French president.
“We don't underestimate statements on Greenland,” Macron told his ministers this week. “If the sovereignty of a European and allied state was hit, the knock-on effects would be unprecedented. France is following the situation with the utmost attention and will act in full solidarity with Denmark.”
WharfRat2187 on January 16th, 2026 at 15:53 UTC »
Dear EU intelligence services, now is the time to release all your Epstein materials
KopOut on January 16th, 2026 at 14:52 UTC »
The EU isn't as powerless as they are made out to be. But they have one massive problem: they are a group of countries that got together mostly for trade benefits and they don't agree on much else (and sometimes not even on the trade stuff). That will need to change for the EU to effectively act in ways that the US, China, and Russia already can. I have no idea if it will happen.
1-randomonium on January 16th, 2026 at 11:21 UTC »
(Submission Statement)
As Donald Trump threatens to use the U.S. military to seize Greenland, European officials and diplomats have started quietly airing a previously unsayable thought: What would it look like to fight back?
They cannot actually fight the US military, but if the alliance is already broken, they can threaten to cut off military cooperation. They can withdraw permission for the United States to use bases on European territory to project power far from home, and they can also stop buying tens of billions of dollars worth of American weapons every year.
The big risk, some officials say, is that such a blunt challenge would rapidly escalate into a full-blown rupture in the transatlantic relationship. Others argue that the alliance is increasingly toxic under Trump and that Europe needs to move on.