The cause and solution to the conflict between the US and Europe over Greenland does not lie in the White House, and does not primarily concern Greenland.

The cause lies in the European capitals, and that Europe no longer appears to be a credible partner and ally for the US. The solution lies in the same place.

The cause is to be found in Europe’s many self-inflicted crises, and in the unwillingness of European leaders to recognise this and do something about it.

They simply refuse to recognise the facts. Not a word from Davos that recognises the deep crisis Europe finds itself in.

Not a hint of self-criticism in the Western media. Never a critical question in NRK, if there could be anything in the criticism from the US.

Because the fact is that the criticism is 100% correct and 100% justified.

But instead of taking the criticism on board, recognising the problems and doing something about them, subservient European heads of state bend their knees and try to get away with sucking up to Trump.

They are not addressing the fundamental structural challenges facing Europe, which not unexpectedly has the opposite effect on Trump.

It only confirms that the EU is unwilling to do anything about the problems, and consequently only contributes to further escalation.

What we are now seeing unfold is an utterly pathetic and self-denying escape from reality by European heads of state, so-called US experts and narrative-driven editorials, who never ask the crucial question:

Can there be something more?

Can there be anything to the criticism from the Trump administration?

Because the fact is that globalisation policy has led to Europe reducing its share of global GDP from almost 30% in 1990 to 13% in 2025. The EU has thus reduced its importance and relevance to the US correspondingly, both in terms of trade policy and security policy.

The fact is that during the same period, the European NATO countries have completely neglected their own security and systematically ignored all decisions in NATO to increase defence budgets, which has created ever-increasing frustration in Washington, increased pressure from Russia and reduced security in Europe.

The fact is that mass immigration to Europe is undermining Europe’s economy and the welfare of its people, and leading to a demographic shift that means that in a few decades Europe will look completely different and be governed by completely different forces.

The fact is that the green shift and blind climate policy have led to an energy crisis that has weakened competitiveness, increased inflation and at the same time made Europe even more vulnerable.

The fact is that the EU has become increasingly centralised and dictatorial, and the distance between the electorate and the political elite has widened.

Voters have not been consulted on either globalisation policy or the demographic shift that is taking place.

And the thing is, the postmodernist, politically controlled and fact-denying woke and identity politics have undermined the empirically based tradition of science in the West and contributed to something resembling a civilisational crisis of culture and values.

For what was it that J. D. Vance warned about at the Munich Security Conference in February 2025? He said, among other things, that:

“The threat that I worry most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.”

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And what did Trump warn about in the president’s new security strategy, published on 4 December:

“Should present trends continue, the continent will be unrecognisizable in 20 years or less. As such, it is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies.”

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This is not something Trump has hatched in private because he has evil intentions or doesn’t like Europe, as the media portrays it. It is rooted in real concerns about the future of Europe. It’s rooted in facts and the fact that Europe is in a fundamental crisis.

But this is where the Gordian knot when it comes to the crisis in the transatlantic relationship and the conflict regarding Greenland lies. Greenland, lies.</p

The solution lies first and foremost in Europe, not in the White House.

Until European leaders realise this, the Greenland conflict could escalate and further undermine NATO and transatlantic relations.</p

Pressure from Trump and the war in Ukraine has finally contributed to EU countries taking their share of defence spending in NATO.

The fact that they are now sending troops and discussing what they can contribute to the security of Greenland and the Arctic in general is another signal that the EU is finally recognising its responsibility for the collective security of the West.

The elite continue to completely ignore the fundamental structural challenges facing Europe, and the centrepiece of the Trump administration’s critique, which makes Europe an uncertain future key ally and partner:

“The larger issues facing Europe include activities of the European Union and other transnational bodies that undermine political liberty and sovereignty, migration policies that are transforming the continent and creating strife, censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence.”

This is not an attempt to weaken Europe. It is an attempt to save Europe. It cannot be done from Washington. It has to be done in the European capitals, including Oslo.

European leaders must show a genuine willingness to address the damaging effects of globalisation policies, reverse immigration policies and address the challenges facing European democracy, in the same way that they have finally, at least apparently, addressed defence and security policies.</p

Then the Greenland question could also find its solution. Presumably in the form of a process involving secession from Denmark, possibly with the possibility of a future form of association with the US.

This could, for example, take the form of a COFA agreement (Compact of Free Association), where the US takes care of security while the ownership of the resources remains in the hands of the Greenlandic population.

A negotiated solution, as it now seems to be heading, will salvage NATO and EU-US relations. They won’t be unaffected by what has happened, but the transatlantic relationship will endure. And it will give Trump an important victory on the domestic front.

This is an important driver for Trump, who showed in his speech in Davos on Tuesday that he has recognised the pushback from the MAGA movement over his aggressive line on the Greenland issue and moderated his rhetoric.

And above all, it will help to save Europe from itself and the civilisational downfall it is heading into.

But the prospects for European leaders to change course do not currently look very good. Arrogance among the elites remains widespread. And proposals to counter the US with a trade ‘bazooka’, or even militarily, are not constructive.

This is not a question of showing vigour. It’s a question of self-recognition, accepting the realities and showing the will to do something about it.

It’s about far more than Greenland. It is about the West, Europe and the future of Norway.

Davos may be the right place to do it.