Le Monde editorial board argues that European leaders have reacted to U.S. threats toward Greenland with denial, disbelief, and rhetorical minimization, instead of confronting the reality of power politics.
On 9 January 2026, the Le Monde editorial board published a collective view insisting that treating a U.S. annexation of Greenland as “unthinkable” is itself a political failure. Diplomacy, the authors argue, is precisely about preparing for scenarios leaders would rather avoid. If Europe cannot defend the territorial integrity of Denmark and Greenland — an overseas territory associated with the EU — it fatally undermines its own credibility, internally and externally.
“Instead of commenting on the unthinkable, Europeans would be better served by taking action,” Le Monde writes. “Such is the purpose of diplomacy.”
“Trump has often done exactly what he said he would,” Le Monde warns, and continues that “the credibility of political leaders would be fundamentally undermined if they were to surrender, without resistance, a part of their territory.”
A central argument is that European silence would amount to surrender, not only of territory, but of political dignity, democratic legitimacy, and moral authority. The authors draw a direct parallel to Ukraine: if the EU accepts the forced transfer of Greenland, it loses the ability to credibly argue that territorial aggression against Kyiv threatens Europe as a whole.
The op-ed rejects the comforting idea that Trump is merely bluffing or acting impulsively. Instead, it stresses that Trump has repeatedly followed through on explicit threats, citing U.S. military actions in Venezuela, Yemen, and Iran as evidence that Europe must take declared intentions seriously. The conclusion is stark: Europe must draw red lines, engage in balance-of-power diplomacy, and act collectively, or accept strategic humiliation.
