Where The US Has Military Footholds In Europe
Since the beginning of his second term one year ago, President Trump has escalated his public campaign regarding his plans for acquiring Greenland, framing the autonomous Danish territory as a "national security necessity" due to its Arctic location, while the island is also rich in untapped mineral resources.
Trump's rhetoric has ranged from offers to purchase the territory from Denmark, including a direct payment to its residents, to veiled threats of military intervention, having notably stated in early January: "We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor".
That rhetoric appeared to peak last weekend and then drifted back into more diplomatic discussion after his flip-flop on possible kinetic action during his speech in Davos.
This push follows a pattern of assertive U.S. foreign policy, including the recent military raid in Venezuela to capture the country's President Nicolas Maduro.
The U.S. already operates a permanent military base in Greenland: Pituffik Space Base, a Cold War-era installation now staffed by about 200 personnel, down from a peak of 10,000. The base is critical for missile defense and space surveillance, but Trump argues that full U.S. control is needed to deter Russia and China, despite existing defense agreements with Denmark that allow for expanded U.S. military presence.
As Statista's Tristan Gaudiat notes in the map below, the U.S. also currently maintains over 50,000 troops across around thirty permanent bases in Europe (area of responsibility of the United States European Command), with important air hubs like Keflavik (Iceland), Ramstein (Germany) and Lakenheath (United Kingdom), or naval stations like Rota (Spain) and Souda (Greece).
These bases are not only tools of NATO deterrence but also leverage points for U.S. power projection around the globe.
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Europe's reliance on U.S. military infrastructure is a double-edged sword.
While European leaders have condemned Trump's Greenland ambitions as "absurd" and a threat to NATO's unity, some also recognize their dependence on U.S. bases and security support.
On the other hand, in response to Trump's escalations, the EU and several member states could consider the possibility of restricting U.S. access to European bases - a move that could significantly hamper American operations in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Denmark, backed by the EU, has reaffirmed Greenland's sovereignty and warned that any U.S. annexation attempt would "destroy 80 years of transatlantic security links".
Furthermore, Denmark has boosted its Arctic defense budget and, alongside France, Germany and other European partners, has deployed small military contingents to Greenland for exercises, signaling unity and willingness to defend Arctic sovereignty.