Armin Laschet, chairman of the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee, called for diplomatic efforts to dissuade the US from annexing Greenland, saying that military action against a NATO member would undermine trust in the alliance.
„We must make it clear to the Americans in diplomatic negotiations that military action against a small NATO member would destroy the last vestiges of trust in the alliance. The end of NATO cannot be in Washington's interest. In any case, one thing is clear: Europeans cannot go to war with the United States,” Laschet said in an interview with the Funke media group.
At the same time, he noted that “everything the US president says must be taken seriously.” “The discussion about Greenland began during Trump’s first term. I don’t believe it will escalate to a military confrontation, but the pressure is growing. Europe must prepare for this,” Laschet stressed. Greenland, according to the politician, is gaining new geostrategic importance. “NATO could have collectively coped with this challenge without the United States annexing Greenland,” the head of the Bundestag committee argued.
Laschet noted that foreign interventions are not unique to US President Donald Trump. "The killing of Osama bin Laden without a warrant in Pakistan during President Obama's administration was equally problematic from an international law perspective," Laschet said. He also defended the subdued European response to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Open criticism of the US president by European leaders, Laschet said, "would mean the end of the Ukraine talks."