How Trump’s push for Greenland spooked far-right allies

 

‘Enemy of Europe’? How Trump’s push for Greenland spooked far-right allies

In January 2026, President Donald Trump’s intensified push to acquire Greenland fractured his relationship with European far-right allies, as his aggressive tactics—including threats of military force and 10–25% tariffs—clashed with their core tenet of national sovereignty.

 

Key developments in this fallout include:

Sovereignty vs. Alignment: European nationalists, who previously lauded Trump’s "America First" agenda under the banner "Make Europe Great Again," found his "expansionism" a direct threat to European borders.

Vocal Condemnation:

Nigel Farage (Reform UK) described the move as a "very hostile act".

Morten Messerschmidt (Danish People's Party) distanced himself, citing the 300-year-old Danish borders as non-negotiable.

Leaders in Germany (AfD), Italy (Lega), and France (RN) criticized the plan as "coercion" and "interventionism".

Parliamentary Backlash: In the European Parliament, far-right lawmakers joined mainstream rivals to support stalling a key EU-U.S. trade pact, signaling a rare moment of pan-European unity against Trump.

Shift in Public Perception: A January 2026 poll found that 51% of Europeans now view Trump as an "enemy of Europe," with roughly 18–25% of far-right voters in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain adopting this label.

Additional Insults: The rift deepened after Trump disparaged NATO allies’ troops, claiming they "stayed a little off the frontlines" in Afghanistan, which piqued patriotic sentiments among his former nationalist fans.

While Trump eventually walked back military and tariff threats at the Davos World Economic Forum on January 21, 2026, analysts suggest the "Greenland crisis" has permanently damaged the once "iron-clad" link between MAGA and Europe’s radical right.