New Delhi [India], January 10 (ANI): Former Indian diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar has warned that NATO could “completely disintegrate” if US President Donald Trump attempts to occupy Greenland, saying such a move would undermine the alliance’s core principles of sovereignty, collective security, and the rules-based international order.
Speaking to ANI, Sajjanhar described recent statements by senior US officials questioning Denmark’s claim over Greenland as alarming, highlighting deep contradictions within the Western alliance. The warnings come in the wake of Trump’s earlier remarks that the United States needs Greenland for national security, following US strikes in Venezuela that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Addressing reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “We need Greenland. … It’s so strategic right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”
Sajjanhar noted that US Deputy White House Chief Stephen Miller had openly questioned Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland, arguing that the United States, as a NATO power responsible for Arctic security, had a greater claim. “They are not willing to talk to Denmark. They just want to occupy it,” he said.
The former diplomat highlighted Denmark’s repeated offers for dialogue on cooperation, including commercial activity and mineral exploration, while maintaining a clear red line on sovereignty. “She has suggested many times that we can discuss collaboration, commercial activity and exploitation of minerals. Except for sovereignty. Sovereignty is out of bounds. But Mr. Trump has not responded positively to any of that,” Sajjanhar said, adding that the US intent appears to be coercion rather than negotiation.
Sajjanhar also criticised the muted response from European NATO allies. While several nations issued statements backing Denmark, opposition to the US position remained cautious, he said. “And can they expect that if they were to make a move, if they were to go into Greenland, what would be the status of NATO, the NATO alliance as such? And it will completely disintegrate. That is why they have been mealy-mouthed,” he explained, linking Europe’s hesitation to its dependence on Washington, particularly amid the Ukraine conflict.
He warned that any US disengagement from Ukraine could create serious challenges for Europe, which explains why European leaders are trying to balance opposition to Washington on Greenland while not fully defending Denmark’s territorial integrity.
Sajjanhar also referred to growing anxiety in the Western Hemisphere, including in Canada, noting that Trump’s repeated mentions of countries such as Greenland, Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, and Mexico have created unease. “Canada feels that it needs to come together with others because so many countries are being mentioned. Fortunately for Canada, when he was mentioning Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, and Greenland … the discussion was, who exactly will be after Venezuela, and the Americans have said Greenland comes first,” he said. (ANI)
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