European leaders used a Paris meeting on Ukraine to deliver a parallel message on Arctic security: Greenland’s status is for Denmark and Greenland alone to decide. The joint push came as U.S. officials Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff attended talks on security guarantees for Kyiv, with the Greenland dispute cutting into efforts to keep Washington aligned on Ukraine. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraines-allies-meet-with-aim-make-security-pledges-concrete-2026-01-06/?utm_source=openai))
A joint statement issued by France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom and Denmark affirmed that the Kingdom of Denmark - including Greenland - is part of NATO, and that Arctic security must be achieved collectively with Allies, including the United States. It added: “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.” ([elysee.fr](https://www.elysee.fr/en/emmanuel-macron/2026/01/06/joint-statement-on-greenland?utm_source=openai))
Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, warned that any U.S. military action against Greenland would effectively end the transatlantic alliance, describing such a move as the end of “everything” that NATO has provided since 1949. Greenland’s prime minister, Jens‑Frederik Nielsen, welcomed European solidarity while urging “respectful dialogue” with Washington. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/2b12bb104faaaafda2ed270febfb0522))
Statements from Washington have heightened anxiety in European capitals. In a CNN interview, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller argued that “nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland,” while refusing to rule out U.S. claims over the island’s status. ([transcripts.cnn.com](https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ebo/date/2026-01-05/segment/01?utm_source=openai))
Copenhagen has moved to thicken Arctic defences. In 2025, Denmark announced roughly $4.26bn in new Arctic capability - including additional patrol vessels, long‑range drones, satellite capacity, and maritime patrol aircraft - alongside wider defence cooperation with Washington approved by the Folketing. ([aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/11/denmark-to-boost-arctic-defence-by-4-26bn-plans-to-buy-16-new-f-35s))
The United States already operates Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) under the 1951 U.S.–Denmark defence agreement. The installation supports missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance for the U.S. and NATO; today’s uniformed presence is in the low hundreds, far below Cold War levels. ([spaceforce.mil](https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3355840/thule-air-base-gets-new-name/?utm_source=openai))
NATO’s treaty language offers little comfort in an intra‑alliance crisis. Article 5 is not automatic, requires a political decision, and was designed for external attack; the Alliance has never invoked it for a dispute between members. Officials and analysts caution that an ally attacking an ally would paralyse decision‑making. ([nato.int](https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/introduction-to-nato/collective-defence-and-article-5?utm_source=openai))
The timing is awkward for Europe. Leaders sought to finalise binding security guarantees for Ukraine in Paris, but the Greenland row intruded. A draft framework points to military, intelligence and sanctions support if Russia resumes large‑scale aggression after a ceasefire, with U.S. envoys present for negotiations. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraines-allies-meet-with-aim-make-security-pledges-concrete-2026-01-06/?utm_source=openai))
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said a U.S.‑backed 20‑point peace framework is “90%” agreed, while acknowledging that unresolved territorial issues remain the hardest element. The Paris track aims to translate that political framework into operational guarantees and monitoring arrangements. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/zelenskiy-says-he-wont-sign-weak-deal-that-will-only-prolong-war-2025-12-31/?utm_source=openai))
London and Berlin have publicly aligned with Copenhagen. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that only Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark can decide the island’s future. Chancellor Friedrich Merz underlined that Greenland, as part of Denmark, is in NATO and that Arctic security must be ensured collectively with Allies, including the United States. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/uks-starmer-says-greenlands-future-not-others-decide-2026-01-05/))
Strategically, the Arctic question intersects with European defence dependence. While EU states have increased outlays since 2022, key enablers - high‑end ISR, command‑and‑control, airlift and munitions stockpiles - still lean heavily on U.S. provision. The joint Greenland statement signals an attempt to ring‑fence collective Arctic security even as the Allies disagree on sovereignty claims. ([elysee.fr](https://www.elysee.fr/en/emmanuel-macron/2026/01/06/joint-statement-on-greenland?utm_source=openai))
Fiscal choices add pressure. In late 2025, EU leaders agreed a large loan package for Kyiv financed via capital markets rather than an immediate scheme to leverage frozen Russian state assets - a reminder that political unity on coercive finance remains incomplete. ([aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/19/eu-agrees-hefty-105b-ukraine-loan-without-using-russian-assets?utm_source=openai))
For practitioners, the immediate implications are straightforward. Expect intensified Allied presence and surveillance in the High North, closer EU‑Nordic coordination on maritime domain awareness, and more Danish‑U.S. operational planning at Pituffik. The legal and political message is equally clear: Europe intends to keep Arctic security inside NATO’s tent - and keep decisions about Greenland in Nuuk and Copenhagen. ([elysee.fr](https://www.elysee.fr/en/emmanuel-macron/2026/01/06/joint-statement-on-greenland?utm_source=openai))