BRUSSELS – European Union institutions and national governments are quietly stepping up contingency planning amid growing concern that relations with the United States could slide into an unprecedented direct confrontation under President Donald Trump, according to a report by Politico Europe.
The warning follows a sharp escalation in rhetoric from Trump over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, with European officials now taking seriously his repeated suggestions that the Arctic island should come under US control.
“We must be ready for a direct confrontation with Trump,” an EU diplomat briefed on internal discussions told Politico Europe. “He is in an aggressive mode, and we need to be geared up.”
Shift from disbelief to alarm
For much of the past year, European capitals treated Trump’s comments on Greenland as political posturing or negotiating theatrics. That assessment has now shifted dramatically. According to Politico Europe, senior officials across the bloc increasingly believe that the threats are credible and that Washington could take concrete steps to pressure Denmark and the wider EU.
Diplomats quoted by the publication say governments are now “desperately searching for a plan” to contain Trump, prevent escalation and protect European sovereignty should tensions worsen.
The renewed anxiety comes as Trump intensifies his public and private messaging on Greenland, a strategically vital territory rich in natural resources and central to Arctic security. The island is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, an EU member state, although Greenland itself lies outside the EU.
Military option openly discussed
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland should be brought under US control, citing national security concerns and competition with China and Russia in the Arctic. In an interview with NBC News in early May 2025, he declined to rule out the use of force to achieve that objective, a remark that sent shockwaves through European diplomatic circles.
Those concerns deepened further this month. On January 6, the White House said in a written response to Reuters that “utilising the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal,” a statement widely interpreted in Europe as a deliberate signal that no tools were off the table.
The following day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump was actively discussing the possibility of purchasing Greenland with senior advisers, reviving an idea he first floated during his previous term but now framed in far more assertive terms.
European unity under strain
The prospect of a direct standoff with Washington has exposed fault lines within Europe over how to respond. While Denmark has firmly rejected any discussion of selling Greenland, other EU member states are said to be weighing how far they would go in backing Copenhagen should the dispute escalate.
According to Politico Europe, some governments favour a strong, unified response that makes clear any threat to Danish sovereignty would be treated as a challenge to the entire bloc. Others worry about provoking Trump and risking a broader breakdown in transatlantic relations, particularly at a time when Europe remains heavily dependent on US security guarantees.
Behind closed doors, EU officials are examining legal, diplomatic and economic tools that could be deployed if the situation deteriorates, including coordinated messaging, sanctions-related leverage and the use of international law to reinforce Denmark’s position.
A test for transatlantic ties
The Greenland dispute is emerging as a defining test of the post-war transatlantic alliance. For decades, disagreements between Europe and the US have been managed within a framework of shared values and institutions. Trump’s blunt assertions of power, European diplomats say, challenge that assumption.
“This is no longer just about rhetoric,” one official told Politico Europe. “It’s about whether the United States still sees its European allies as partners, or as obstacles.”
While no European leader believes a military confrontation with the US is imminent, the fact that such scenarios are now being discussed at senior levels marks a profound shift in thinking in Brussels and other capitals.
As Trump continues to press the Greenland issue, EU officials fear the dispute could spill over into trade, defence cooperation and NATO cohesion, further straining relations already tested by diverging approaches to global security.
For now, European governments are preparing quietly, hoping diplomacy prevails—but increasingly aware that a once-unthinkable confrontation with their closest ally can no longer be entirely ruled out.