EPC Update / Post-summit Briefing: The Greenland crisis: A test for Europe's credibilitye need for strategic choices
YouTube, 23.01.2026
Online Briefing
On 22 January, EU leaders convened for an extraordinary meeting to consider how to respond to President Trump’s escalating threats to assert control over Greenland. As one of the most severe tests of Europe’s strategic credibility in recent years, the crisis directly challenges core principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Trump’s announcement of tariffs on eight European countries has further elevated the dispute into a test of the EU’s political and economic resolve.
How should the Union and its members react – and how far should they be prepared to go? Are member states willing to incur the political and economic costs required to defend their collective interests and fundamental values? What risks does the Greenland crisis pose for NATO and for the Union’s internal cohesion and credibility? How will the crisis affect ongoing efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine? Does the confrontation offer strategic openings for other geopolitical actors, such as Russia and/or China, to exploit widening divisions among transatlantic allies? And, ultimately, what does this episode imply for Europe’s long-term security architecture, its dependence on US guarantees, and its ability to defend its interests in the Arctic and beyond?
Speakers: Janis A. Emmanouilidis, Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Studies, European Policy Centre; Almut Möller, Director for European and Global Affairs & Head of the Europe in the World programme, European Policy CentreFabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive & Chief Economist, European Policy Centre
Moderator: Jacki Davis, Senior Adviser, European Policy Centre
Link to video on YouTube here
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