NATO will disintegrate if Trump occupies Greenland: Former envoy Ashok Sajjanhar

New Delhi [India], January 10 : Former Indian diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar has warned that NATO could "completely disintegrate" if US President Donald Trump moves to occupy Greenland, saying such an action would undermine the alliance's core principles of sovereignty, collective security and the rules-based international order.

Speaking with ANI, Sajjanhar said statements by senior US officials questioning Denmark's claim over Greenland were alarming and revealed deep contradictions within the Western alliance.

This comes as Trump earlier said that the United States needs Greenland for national security reasons, a day after strikes on Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump said Greenland was critical to US security due growing presence of Russia and China in the Arctic region."We need Greenland. ... It's so strategic right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place," Trump said. "We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it."

Referring to remarks by US Deputy White House Chief Stephen Miller, Sajjanhar said American officials were openly challenging Denmark's sovereignty by arguing that the United States, as a NATO power responsible for Arctic security, had a greater claim over Greenland.

"They are not willing to talk to Denmark. They just want to occupy it," Sajjanhar said, recalling Miller's remarks questioning Denmark's claim over the Arctic territory.

"The real question is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?" Miller said during the interview with CNN on Monday afternoon.

Sajjanhar pointed out that Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had repeatedly offered dialogue on cooperation, including commercial activities and mineral exploration, but had drawn a clear red line on sovereignty.

"She has suggested many times that we can discuss collaboration, commercial activity and exploitation of minerals. Except for sovereignty. Sovereignty is out of bounds. But Mr. Trump has not responded positively to any of that," he said.

According to Sajjanhar, this demonstrated that the intent was not to negotiate but to coerce. "It is not as if they want to engage in negotiations. They just want to go and occupy it," he added.

The former diplomat also criticised the muted response from European countries, noting that while several NATO allies had issued a joint statement backing Denmark, their opposition remained cautious.

"And can they (Europeans) expect that if they were to make a move, if they were to go into Greenland, what would be the status of NATO, the NATO alliance as such. And it will completely disintegrate. That is why they have been mealy-mouthed. Because they think that they need the support of the United States, both in the context of Ukraine, because if the United States would completely disengage itself from there, then it's going to create very many difficulties," Sajjanhar said, linking Europe's hesitation to its dependence on Washington, particularly amid the Ukraine conflict.

He warned that if the US were to disengage from Ukraine, it would create serious difficulties for Europe, which explains why European leaders are trying to strike a balance, opposing Washington's position on Greenland without firmly defending Denmark's territorial integrity.

"And I think that is why they have been sort of, you know, so trying to balance while coming out against the US position on Greenland. So opposing it, but still not, you know, going to the extent that we are going to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of one of the European member states, he added.

Sajjanhar also referred to growing anxiety in the Western Hemisphere, including in Canada, as Trump has repeatedly mentioned countries such as Greenland, Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia and Mexico.

"Canada feels that it needs to come together with others because so many countries are being mentioned.. I think, fortunately for Canada, when he was mentioning Cuba, Colombia, Mexico and Greenland, and I think till yesterday the discussion, the furore was who exactly will be after Venezuela, and as you mentioned very correctly, the Americans have said Greenland comes first. So, at least the Canadians must be heaving a temporary sigh of relief that they have not been mentioned by Mr. Trump like this," he said.

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