The Current Can NATO survive Trump's threats against Greenland?
Jan 19, 2026
Douglas Lute, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General and former NATO ambassador, discusses the impact of Trump’s Greenland threats on NATO's unity. Juana Langescu, former NATO spokesperson, details a coordinated European response and military exercises aimed at Arctic security. Stephen Seidman, director of the Canadian Defence and Security Network, analyzes Canada’s cautious political stance and vulnerability to U.S. whims. Together, they explore how this crisis tests NATO’s credibility and calls for increased European and Canadian defense responsibilities.
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Threats Erode NATO's Core Glue
- Douglas Lute says Trump's threats break two core NATO principles: American leadership and allied trust.
- That combination poses a historically serious challenge to the alliance's cohesion.
Europe's United Economic Pushback
- Juana Langescu highlights unified European pushback and possible €93 billion retaliatory tariffs.
- She warns economic retaliation could cover wide U.S. exports and escalate the trade dispute.
Troops Signal Serious Arctic Commitment
- Juana Langescu says European troop deployments to Greenland signal serious Arctic security commitment.
- She frames NATO as the right forum for managing rising High North tensions.