The United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden issued a joint statement aimed at strengthening security in the Arctic. In the statement, they openly stated their solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland and expressed their readiness for dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, taking into account the "process that began last week."
European countries demonstrated two things simultaneously through this statement: firstly, there was a coordinated position on the Arctic issue, not "everyone in their own way"; secondly, attempts to turn the Greenland issue into trade pressure could seriously damage transatlantic relations. They warned that customs threats would "destroy transatlantic connections" and create a "dangerous spiral leading downward."
The statement also mentioned the "Arctic Endurance" military exercise, which Denmark had previously coordinated: the Eight noted that this exercise arose out of necessity within NATO and posed no threat to anyone. That is, the European side is trying to avoid interpretations like "we sent troops - so we want to attack someone."
The background is very sharp. According to reports, Donald Trump announced through Truth Social that a 10% tariff would be imposed on these eight countries, while also expressing his readiness for negotiations on the Greenland issue. European diplomats, however, believe that such a connection - that is, "connecting" the topic of security with trade sanctions - can destroy the spirit of alliance.
After these statements, another noteworthy episode emerged: various sources wrote that small military units from European countries had been sent to Greenland, but there were also reports that the German contingent had soon left the island. Reuters and other media outlets reported that 15 German soldiers returned to Copenhagen.
What do these events indicate? The Arctic is no longer just a "cold geography" - it is becoming an area where trade, security, and geopolitics are interconnected. Therefore, today's statement is also a signal for the future: European countries are trying to solidify their positions and limit dialogue to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. If the parties do not speak out of this, the "tariff war" can quickly turn into an alliance crisis.
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