Tensions within the NATO alliance have escalated after Gunther Fehlinger, chair of Austria’s NATO enlargement committee, issued a dramatic warning to the United States over its rhetoric surrounding Greenland.
In a fiery video posted to social media on Tuesday, Fehlinger claimed that any US attempt to annex Greenland would result in Europe confiscating all American military bases across the continent, effectively forcing US forces to leave Europe.
“From Ramstein, from Romania, to all the other military bases — they will be confiscated,” Fehlinger said.
“If you take Greenland, you have to leave.”
Response to Pro-Trump Greenland Rhetoric
Fehlinger’s remarks were partly directed at MAGA podcaster Katie Miller, who sparked controversy by posting an image of Greenland overlaid with a US flag and the caption “Soon” on X (formerly Twitter).
Addressing Miller directly, Fehlinger mocked the suggestion and outlined what he described as Europe’s strategic leverage over Washington.
“You need the spaces for global power projection. You won’t have it,” he said.
“We can defend ourselves very well — without the US nuclear shield, without US troops in Europe, without American bases.”
He went further, warning that Europe could operate independently and send US forces home.
“We will simply run the spaces ourselves, and we will run your boys home into Chicago and Ohio. And goodbye.”
Fehlinger concluded with a blunt warning:
“You go extreme, we go extreme as well. Be sure about it.”
NATO Unity Under Threat
Fehlinger’s comments reflect growing concern among European leaders that any US military action against Greenland — an autonomous territory of Denmark — could fracture or even collapse NATO.
Several European officials have suggested that a unilateral move by Washington would undermine the alliance’s foundational principle of collective defense and respect for sovereignty.
White House: Military Option “Always on the Table”
The backlash follows renewed statements from the Trump administration, which has openly discussed acquiring Greenland for strategic and security reasons.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that military force had not been ruled out.
“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States,” she said.
“Utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal.”
The administration argues that Greenland is vital for Arctic security, mineral resources, and deterring rivals in the region.
Rubio Denies Invasion Plans
Despite the aggressive rhetoric, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot sought to calm tensions, saying US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had denied any intention to invade Greenland.
“He confirmed that this was not the approach taken,” Barrot told France Inter Radio on Wednesday.
Rubio reportedly told European counterparts that the Greenland comments were part of diplomatic pressure rather than an imminent military plan.
Rising Strain Between the US and Europe
The episode highlights deepening strains between Washington and its European allies, as concerns grow over unilateral US actions, NATO cohesion, and the future balance of power in the Arctic.
While no military action appears imminent, Fehlinger’s warning underscores how quickly political rhetoric could spiral into a major transatlantic crisis.
The French minister told the radio station, “We want to take action, but we want to do so together with our European partners.”
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Stephen Miller, who is married to podcaster Katy Miller, told reporters on Monday that “nobody [was] going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland”.
