US President Donald Trump's ambitions for Greenland are causing a rift in NATO, causing European countries to stop sharing intelligence with Washington, the British newspaper The i Paper reports, citing its sources.
A senior NATO source told the newspaper that Trump's intention to seize Greenland “creates tension and distrust between European and American NATO colleagues“. “The American colleagues came to me and apologized; "one of them apologized on behalf of his people," he said, adding that there was a feeling among NATO officials that the country "that we all admired and valued" had now "stabbed us in the back."
The i Paper source said officials were no longer "speaking openly" amid growing concerns that the information would reach Trump and could be used in an attempt to seize Greenland.
A British intelligence source called the deterioration in relations between the White House and its allies "unprecedented" and warned that "isolated political upheavals" caused by Trump would affect intelligence relations. A US intelligence source told iPaper that Trump's actions were "alliance-shattering steps that could completely change the world order for decades to come."
The UK and the US have been exchanging intelligence since World War II. After the war, the countries signed the UKUSA intelligence-sharing agreement, known as "Two Eyes." The alliance later expanded to include Australia, Canada and New Zealand, after which it became known as the “Five Eyes“.
The source of the British newspaper added that Trump's threats to impose tariffs, including on the UK, have led to the idea that Washington now sees London not as a “Two Eyes“ ally, but rather as “just part of Europe“.
The UK, along with several other European countries, decided to send its troops to Greenland for the “Arctic Resilience“ exercises after Trump did not rule out a military takeover of the island. The US president announced the imposition of 10% tariffs on imported goods from countries that have sent troops to Greenland, including the UK.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump's decision “wrong“. On January 18, he spoke with the US president. The following day, Starmer said that London intends to continue its close relationship with Washington in the area of intelligence sharing. "It keeps us safe in ways that I can't explain to you," he was quoted as saying by i Paper.
The European Union is considering retaliatory measures against the US, including imposing tariffs on American goods. Sources from CBC News and Reuters reported that Canada may also send troops to Greenland. They said that military officials have presented a plan to the government, which now awaits approval from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.