France has formally requested a NATO military exercise in Greenland, deploying the alliance's own mechanisms to counter territorial threats from its founding member, according to Reuters.
The request, confirmed by French defense officials on Tuesday, would mark the first time NATO has conducted exercises explicitly designed to defend one member's territory from another member's declared ambitions. Paris has indicated it is prepared to contribute personnel and assets to the operation, building on the approximately 30 French mountain infantry already deployed alongside Danish forces.
The move represents a calculated gamble by President Emmanuel Macron, who has emerged as Europe's most vocal opponent of President Trump's demands. At the Davos economic forum on Monday, Macron declared that Europe "should not be hesitant" to deploy trade defense mechanisms against both the United States and China, though he emphasized maintaining diplomatic channels.
The irony is exquisite. NATO, created in 1949 to provide collective defense against the Soviet Union, is now being asked to defend Denmark from America. The alliance's founding document never contemplated this scenario. Article 5—invoked only once, by the United States after September 11, 2001—promises that an attack on one member is an attack on all. But what constitutes an "attack" when one member openly discusses seizing another's territory?
NATO officials speaking on background described the French request as both legally complex and politically explosive. "We have procedures for joint exercises," one senior alliance diplomat explained. "We don't have procedures for exercises designed to deter a member state. This is uncharted territory."
The request puts particular pressure on NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who has attempted to maintain neutrality while calling for "unity and dialogue." Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister known for pragmatic dealmaking, now faces a choice that could define his tenure: support the exercise and antagonize Washington, or reject it and signal that Europe stands alone.
France's move also exposes deep fissures within Europe itself. While Macron has positioned France as the defender of European sovereignty, other capitals have been notably reticent. Germany, the continent's economic powerhouse, has offered only muted support for Denmark, apparently hoping the crisis will resolve through negotiation. Poland and the Baltic states, which depend heavily on American troops and equipment to deter Russia, appear unwilling to choose sides.
Britain, though no longer an EU member, faces its own calculations. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has emphasized the "special relationship" with Washington, but Downing Street has also quietly confirmed that any military action against Greenland would constitute a violation of international law that London could not support.
Historical parallels are imperfect but instructive. During the Suez Crisis of 1956, the United States used economic pressure to force Britain and France to withdraw from Egypt, demonstrating American dominance within the Western alliance. The difference now is that Washington is the aggressor, not the restraining force.
The French request comes as Denmark prepares to deploy up to 1,000 combat troops to Greenland—the largest military presence on the island since World War II. The timing suggests coordination between Paris and Copenhagen, likely involving Berlin and other capitals behind the scenes.
For Greenland itself, population 57,000, the prospect of becoming a NATO training ground represents both protection and peril. Premier Múte Egede has walked a careful line, asserting independence from both Denmark and the United States while recognizing the island's need for external security guarantees.
Trump has responded to European resistance by threatening 10 percent tariffs on eight European nations and suggesting he may withdraw from NATO entirely—a threat he has made repeatedly since 2016. This time, however, European officials appear to be taking him seriously.
To understand today's headlines, we must look at yesterday's decisions. The current crisis represents the culmination of Europe's decades-long failure to develop independent defense capabilities. For 75 years, European nations outsourced their security to America, assuming the arrangement was permanent. That assumption is now collapsing, and the French NATO request is Europe's recognition that the post-war order is over.
