Bilateral Talks, Not a NATO Decision
Any new security arrangement for Greenland negotiated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte must be presented to all alliance members before it can carry weight, Spain’s foreign minister has said. Speaking to Euronews on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, José Manuel Albares stressed that recent talks between Rutte and US President Donald Trump amounted to a bilateral exchange, not an agreed NATO position.
“This is not NATO,” Albares told Euronews. “It is the Secretary General of NATO talking to one of the allies.” He added that no detailed information has been shared with member states beyond a brief public announcement, and insisted that anything discussed would ultimately need to be brought before the NATO Council.
Greenland’s Future, Not for Sale
President Trump revealed on Wednesday that his administration had reached an understanding with Rutte aimed at strengthening Greenland’s security, potentially allowing the US to expand its military presence and increase the number of American bases on the island. The announcement followed weeks of rising tension over Washington’s interest in the Arctic territory.
Albares pushed back firmly, saying only Greenlanders and Denmark have the right to decide the island’s future. “The people have said it very clearly — they want to remain as part of Denmark,” he told Euronews. Danish authorities have echoed that stance, repeatedly stating Greenland is not up for sale and that its sovereignty is not part of any agreement. Polls also show little appetite among Greenland’s population for becoming part of the United States.
Trump had previously threatened tariffs on several European countries, including Denmark, France and Germany, unless a deal was reached over Greenland, arguing US control was necessary to counter Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic.
Call for European Defence Unity
Albares described Washington’s approach as unacceptable and said the European Union would not negotiate under pressure. He warned that the bloc has its own tools to respond and should not accept coercion, whether military or economic, according to Euronews.
He also used the moment to renew calls for stronger European defence cooperation, arguing that peace requires credible deterrence. “If we want to continue being a land of peace, we need deterrence in our own hands,” he said.
Albares outlined a vision that includes closer coordination among willing EU states, deeper integration of defence industries, and eventually the creation of a European army. “In the end, that is where Europe needs to go,” he told Euronews.
