Global & US Headlines
France, Germany and Poland Draft Contingency Plan Against Possible U.S. Military Move on Greenland
On 7 Jan 2026 Paris disclosed that the three EU governments will meet the same day to craft a joint response in case President Trump follows through on White House-floated military options to acquire Greenland.
Focusing Facts
- French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed the emergency coordination with his German and Polish counterparts, scheduled for 7 Jan 2026 in Paris.
- The White House on 6 Jan 2026 said President Donald Trump is actively reviewing pathways—including use of U.S. forces—to obtain control of Greenland.
- Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory of 56,000 people and 2.1 million km², already hosts the U.S. Thule Air Base under a 1951 defense treaty.
Context
Major-power real-estate grabs are rare but not unprecedented: Washington bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 and, during WWII, stationed troops in Greenland under a 1941 agreement when Denmark was occupied by Germany. Trump’s revived bid echoes these episodes while colliding with a 75-year trend of decolonisation and the post-1990 European project of shared sovereignty. Climate-driven Arctic thaw, new sea lanes, and critical-mineral prospects have turned the island into a geopolitical chessboard much as Suez did for energy routes in 1956. Europe’s swift tri-lateral huddle signals that the EU, long reluctant to speak the language of power, is testing its ability to deter unilateral U.S. action in what it views as its near strategic periphery. Whether the meeting yields more than a statement matters less today than what it portends: a possible 21st-century contest in which middle powers forge coalitions to restrain superpower adventurism—an issue likely to reverberate through Arctic governance frameworks over the coming century.
Perspectives
European policy-focused media
e.g., Devdiscourse — Portrays France’s coordination with Germany and Poland as an urgent, united European front to deter President Trump’s revived ambition to seize Greenland. By spotlighting European diplomacy and warning of U.S. "military measures," the coverage stresses European agency and may amplify the sense of American belligerence to rally continental solidarity.
U.S. mainstream wire-service outlets
e.g., U.S. News & World Report re-publishing Reuters — Presents Trump’s discussions about acquiring Greenland, including possible military use, in a straight-news, matter-of-fact style while briefly noting European objections. The neutral, wire-copy tone risks normalizing the idea as just another policy option and underplays the strategic alarm voiced by European officials.
Gulf-based Middle Eastern media
e.g., قناة العربية, Arab News — Frames the story around a looming U.S. "threat" to "take over" Greenland and highlights France rallying allies to counter the potential American move. Language such as "threat" and repeated references to U.S. military action echo regional skepticism of U.S. interventionism, potentially sensationalizing the scenario for audiences wary of American power.