Trump’s push to annex Greenland risks undermining world legal order – Council of Europe chief

Threats to seize the autonomous Danish territory have raised fears for the future of sovereignty and international law, Alain Berset has said

Any US move to annex Greenland would undermine the post-World War II international legal order and challenge the principle of state sovereignty, Council of Europe chief Alain Berset has warned.

US President Donald Trump has long sought American control over Greenland – an autonomous Danish territory with a population of about 56,000 people – arguing the island is critical to US defense against Russia and China. His renewed push in recent weeks has caused friction with European NATO partners, who have rejected any change in Greenland’s status and warned that such pressure would violate international law. Denmark, a member of the Council of Europe and a founding member of NATO, has insisted the island’s status is non-negotiable.

In an opinion piece published by The New York Times on Monday, Berset wrote that Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland, combined with extensive Greenlandic self-government, is “settled law.” He noted that the US already maintains military facilities at Pituffik Space Base and that existing agreements would allow cooperation to be expanded “without any transfer of territory.”

Read more

The Council of Europe, which brings together 46 member states, including non-EU countries such as Britain and Türkiye, was created after World War II to uphold human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, Berset wrote. Treating the Greenland issue in “Cold War” terms and reviving “spheres of influence” thinking runs counter to that post-war order, he added.

If international law can be set aside “when it becomes inconvenient,” then “trust is gone” and allies will begin to question US commitments elsewhere, Berset argued.

Last week, Trump announced 10% tariffs on eight European NATO states for opposing his bid to acquire the island and sending small military contingents to take part in a Danish-led exercise there. The targeted countries called the tariff threat an effort to “undermine transatlantic relations.” The EU has pledged “full solidarity” with Denmark while preparing a retaliatory trade package.

Russia, which has a large Arctic presence but is located thousands of kilometers from Greenland, has called Trump’s annexation plans “extraordinary” while noting that it recognizes the island as Danish territory. Moscow also warned against NATO militarization of the Arctic.