The Greenland Annexation Scenario
This Verfassungsblog Spotlight addresses the legal implications of a scenario that, until recently, seemed unthinkable: the possible annexation of Greenland by the United States. The threats issued by the U.S. administration have become so explicit and persistent that they now demand a serious discussion of the legal responses such a scenario would trigger – across public international law, EU law, NATO obligations, human rights law, and Danish constitutional law. The contributions published in this section map the relevant legal frameworks, identify their points of tension, and examine the concrete options they provide for prevention, resistance, and response.
LATEST POSTS
04 February 2026
Why US Sovereign Bases in Greenland Would Violate International Law
As the New York Times reported, President Trump and NATO have reached the framework of a deal that would grant the US sovereign bases over territories of Greenland. One of the officials present at the negotiations compared the proposed bases to the British Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus. Establishing such bases constitutes a violation of international law and cannot validly be agreed to by Denmark or NATO. Continue reading >>
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22 January 2026
Indigenous Self‑Determination and Greenland
Greenland’s predominantly Inuit population is recognized as an Indigenous People with a corresponding right to self‑determination under international law. Any external attempt to alter Greenland’s sovereignty – including annexation by the United States – would violate that right and therefore cannot be lawful without the freely expressed will of the Greenlandic people. Continue reading >>
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18 January 2026
Greenland and the Spectre of Dispossession
When it came to grabbing territory, the British had effective techniques by the 1960s. Morning-tea at Downing Street could accomplish what a U.S President’s incontinent media posts have been threatening to do with much froth and fury since 2019: The dispossession of the Chagossians was sealed during one morning in 1965, and should now serve as a cautionary tale for Greenland. Like the Chagos Archipelago, Greenland might find itself dismembered and carved up to serve the security interests of Europe. The path to dispossession is being built on the fallacy that the Arctic zone presents a security threat to the U.S and Europe. The true peril, however, comes from the interconnected vulnerabilities of climate destruction and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Continue reading >>
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16 January 2026
„Die NATO wäre tot“
Alles andere als eine US-Kontrolle über Grönland sei „inakzeptabel“. Mit diesen Worten hat Donald Trump diese Woche Sorgen vor einer US-Annexion Grönlands weiter geschürt. Während europäische Regierungen Dänemark ihre Unterstützung und Solidarität versichern, ist schon jetzt eines klar: Sollten die USA Grönland tatsächlich annektieren, wäre nichts mehr wie zuvor. Wir haben mit Marko Milanović darüber gesprochen, wie das Völkerrecht auf ein solches Szenario reagieren könnte – und was eine Annexion Grönlands für die Zukunft der NATO bedeuten würde. Continue reading >>16 January 2026
“NATO Would Be Dead”
“Anything less” than U.S. control of Greenland is “unacceptable.” With those words this week, President Donald Trump reignited fears that a U.S. annexation of Greenland could move from rhetoric to reality. As European governments move to reassure Denmark of their support and solidarity, one thing is already clear: if the Greenland annexation scenario were to materialize, nothing would be the same again. We spoke with Marko Milanović about how international law would respond to such a scenario – and what a Greenland annexation would mean for the future of NATO. Continue reading >>
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15 January 2026
“It’s Geoeconomics, Stupid”
“It’s the economy, stupid”, the famous catchphrase in the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign, emphasized the importance of economic growth and stability for US voters. The economic argument was also decisive for Trump’s second win. While he promised the return of a US golden age, the US economy has so far been riding on a rollercoaster. As world economies remain interconnected – even in a postliberal view – the Greenland crisis puts geoeconomics centre stage, with the United States using economic and coercive instruments to achieve strategic geopolitical goals. Continue reading >>
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14 January 2026
Grabbing Greenland
The US have doubled down on their threats to seize Greenland, oscillating between long-standing demands that Denmark sell the island to more recent allusions that force may be used if it doesn’t. Trump’s antics over Greenland have politically divided allies and left NATO and the EU de facto and de jure compromised. In this situation, willing, able and trusted states would be well advised to strengthen a European pillar which is complementary to NATO, i.e. one that can plug and play with the US in the Alliance where it can, and autonomously where it must. Continue reading >>
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13 January 2026
European Solidarity and Union Citizens in Greenland
While the EU and its Member States have consistently signalled solidarity with Denmark and Greenland since Trump’s inauguration in early 2025, Europe’s strategy so far has been cautious and may no longer be sufficient. The current situation will test whether European solidarity can evolve beyond rhetoric into a form of “defence solidarity”, ultimately requiring Member States to share military burdens in defence of both Greenlandic Union citizens and European sovereignty. Continue reading >>
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13 January 2026