Survey: 54% of Dutch back diplomatic, NATO action if U.S. targets Greenland

The Netherlands expressed support for NATO engagement in the Arctic following escalating tensions over Greenland, where U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested acquiring the territory. Dutch caretaker Foreign Minister David van Weel emphasized that the territorial integrity and self-determination of Greenland and Denmark are non-negotiable and said diplomatic efforts remain crucial.

Van Weel spoke after a Washington summit on Wednesday involving Denmark, Greenland, and the United States. “It is beneficial that Denmark, Greenland, and the U.S. were able to discuss security issues and ways to address them,” he wrote on X. He reiterated that “only Denmark and Greenland can decide the future of Greenland.”

The minister also called for NATO allies to address “concerns about safety and stability in the Arctic and to cooperate to ensure security in the region.” Eurocommissar Andrius Kubilius warned that a U.S. invasion of Greenland would “mark the end of NATO.”

Trump has long voiced his desire to acquire Greenland, claiming last week that the U.S. “needs it for national security” and has not ruled out military action to secure it. Polling by EenVandaag’s Opiniepanel indicates that 54 percent of Dutch respondents believe the Netherlands should intervene if Trump attempts to seize Greenland. In such a scenario, some panelists suggested that the U.S. could face expulsion from NATO.

However, military expert Frans Osinga of Leiden University explained that NATO member states cannot legally remove another country from the alliance without amending the treaty—a process requiring unanimous approval from all 32 members. “Because of the veto right, one ‘no’ is enough to block any change,” he said.

Osinga noted that diplomatic measures remain possible, such as denying overflight rights or military equipment transfers. He cited France’s 1986 refusal to allow U.S. planes to cross its airspace en route to Libya as precedent.

Osinga cautioned, however, that imposing sanctions on the U.S. would be complex due to Europe’s dependence on American military capabilities. “Without the Americans, we face problems maintaining air superiority. Europe is working to acquire these capacities independently, but it will take years. That is the dilemma,” he said. He warned that a U.S. withdrawal would weaken NATO politically and militarily and could embolden Russia to test the alliance’s credibility in Eastern Europe.

In the Dutch parliament, Van Weel indicated the country may contribute to a NATO mission in the Arctic to ease tensions between the U.S. and European allies. “Through such a contribution, we can help create a measure of détente in the relationship that we value so highly, namely that between the United States and European NATO allies,” he said. No official decision has been made regarding the mission.

CDA lawmaker Derk Boswijk introduced a motion Tuesday, supported by eleven other parties, calling on the Dutch government to “politically and diplomatically support Denmark regarding the status and position of Greenland.”