The European Union can help provide security for Greenland, should Denmark request it, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space said, warning that a U.S. military takeover of the island would be the end of NATO.

America needs Greenland “for the purpose of National Security”, he insisted. The two sides had “agreed to disagree”, Mr Rasmussen said, offering no hint that his government might compromise on the future of Greenland,

The European Union pledged to support Denmark regarding Greenland's security if requested. The region faces geopolitical tension as discussions unfold about potential U.S. ambitions to claim Greenland to counter Russia and China.

Paris: On 6 February, France will open a consulate in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, in what is clearly seen to be a political warning amid growing tensions over the repeated threats by US President Donald Trump to take control of the strategically crucial Arctic island.

SALEN, ​Sweden >> It would be ‌the end of NATO if the U.S. took Greenland by force and European Union member states are under obligation to ‍come to Denmark’s assistance if it was faced with military aggression,

Also in this newsletter: how pressure is mounting on the EU to get tough on Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and the view from Cyprus as Ursula von der Leyen's team visits to mark the start of the EU Council presidency.

Trump has said the U.S. "needs" Greenland for security reasons, amid the specter of force to take control of the vast Arctic island.

The fate of the world’s largest island has outsize importance for billions of people on the planet, because as the climate warms, Greenland is losing ice. That has consequences.