DISINFO: Trump’s assault on Greenland means NATO is dead
SUMMARY
Advisors and allies of US elected president Donald Trump warn that his idea of taking over Denmark’s territory of Greenland is serious. And since Trump himself did not rule out the use of force for this, one is seeing how a NATO country would attack another NATO country regardless of ‘article 5’. This is a reflection that NATO is dead.
RESPONSE
This disinformation story is an attempt to exploit the situation created around the statements of US president-elect Donald Trump regarding Greenland to promote long-term pro-Kremlin disinformation messages against NATO.
After nominating a new ambassador to Denmark, Trump stated in his Truth Social account that “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity”. When asked if he would rule out the use of military force, he refused to do it.
While there has been some media commentary about a possible military takeover of Greenland by the US, at the moment of the publication of this disinformation story it remains a very remote possibility. Many experts, global leaders and politicians do not believe that Trump is serious about the use of military force. Danish authorities are in contact with Trump’s team showing their willingness to discuss boosting security in Greenland or increasing the US military presence on the island, showing that US concerns can be addressed without claiming Greenland for the US and working to prevent a direct confrontation with the incoming Trump Administration.
Pro-Kremlin disinformation is exploiting this situation. Propagandists such as Vladimir Solovyov celebrated Trump’s stance as they claim it validates Russia’s expansionist aspirations. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has established a comparison between an eventual consultation in Greenland and the illegal annexation referendums in the Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Lugansk and Donetsk. Attempts to exaggerate the discrepancies between NATO allies, portraying them as a massive trans-Atlantic crisis, as in this disinformation story, are part of this exploitation.
See similar cases about NATO such as NATO is such a disaster that the US didn’t want its help after 9/11 and Greenland such as Denmark cannot say no to the US if Washington wants to have Greenland.