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Greenland should not be used as a tool to divide the European Union
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The EU’s global political influence does not reflect its economic power
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Enlargement: a geostrategic investment in regional security and stability
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Parliament calls for increased and coordinated defence spending
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Call for a unified EU response to US threats to Greenland’s sovereignty
The EU needs to strengthen its global partnerships and improve its deterrence of threats, say MEPs in their annual reports on the EU’s common foreign, security and defence policies.
In a resolution adopted on Wednesday, Parliament denounced the use of unilateral trade threats and economic intimidation against Denmark and other EU Member States as a form of coercion. Calling these measures incompatible with international law and the fundamental principles of cooperation between NATO allies, MEPs say Greenland should not be used as a tool to divide the European Union. They urge the EU to respond firmly, collectively and decisively, and to resist any such coercive attempts.
Parliament regrets the US government’s more transactional approach to foreign policy, marked by a reduced commitment to multilateralism and European security. The EU must learn from its vulnerabilities, MEPs say, and avoid being exposed to coercion in the future.
“An arc of instability” around Europe
From Ukraine to the Caucasus, and from the Middle East to the Sahel, the Arctic and beyond, an arc of instability has formed around Europe, MEPs warn in their assessment of theEU’scommon foreign and security policy(CFSP). The EU cannot afford to turn inwards and must remain open and engaged, they say, stressing that its global visibility and political influence often do not match its economic, financial and diplomatic impact.
While supporting a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine, MEPs warn that any agreement imposed by Russia or favouring its aggression would undermine European security. Russian aggression is seriously destabilising the EU’s eastern neighbours, with repercussions in the Western Balkans that threaten to slow down reforms and fuel anti-European rhetoric, MEPs say. EU enlargement is, they argue, a geostrategic investment in regional security and stability.
Strengthening the EU’s global partnerships as a strategic task
RapporteurDavid McAllister(EPP, Germany) said: “The EU’s broader strategic task is to strengthen our global partnerships, improve our ability to deter threats and ensure that enlargement, neighbourhood policy and cooperation with like-minded democracies contribute to our long-term security. At the same time, the EU must increase its visibility, refine its external representation and ensure that its instruments – from sanctions to strategic communication and the Global Portal – are used effectively and coherently.”
The report was approved by 392 votes in favour, 179 against and 83 abstentions.
EU Member States must be prepared to act autonomously on defence matters
In Parliament’s annual report on the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), MEPs warn that Russia’s repeated aggressions have undermined the European security order and highlighted the failure of related institutional and political processes. They argue that only cooperation based on jointly agreed rules can protect against war and guarantee common security, and call for a renewed European security architecture that strengthens EU cooperation with NATO. At the same time, Parliament affirms that EU Member States must also be prepared to act autonomously under theEuropean Union’s mutual assistance clause(Article 42(7) TEU).
US threats to Greenland’s sovereignty pose a serious threat to the EU’s strategic interests
Parliament also raises serious concerns about foreign interference in Greenland, including hybrid actions and explicit threats by the United States to Greenland’s sovereignty, describing them as a serious threat to the strategic interests of the EU, the Atlantic alliance and the rules-based order. The text calls for a unified EU response and endorses thejoint statementmade by several EU Member States on 6 January 2026, stating that the future of Greenland can only be decided by Denmark and Greenland. It also expresses alarm at the US National Security Strategy of December 2025, which, according to MEPs, “formalises an unfounded US policy of viewing the EU, including its fundamental values, principles of democratic governance and several of its core security objectives, as opposed to US interests”.
While recognising the vital role of NATO and the US as a key ally of Europe, Parliament also highlights the growing unpredictability and isolationism of US foreign policy, including the risk of troop withdrawal from Europe. It therefore calls for EU contingency planning, increased coordinated defence spending in Member States, stronger European defence capabilities and greater strategic autonomy, while maintaining a balanced transatlantic partnership.
The report was approved by 395 votes in favour, 197 against and 70 abstentions.
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This parliamentary term’s CSDP report stresses that the current circumstances leave no room for doubt: Europe needs a strong, autonomous and operational defence capability. This means that we must go beyond short-term national interests and not only complete a single defence market, but also give real meaning to the EU’s mutual assistance clause. For almost 20 years, the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy has existed largely in theory only; it is time to make it a reality. And the current reality demands urgency, unity and a willingness to act. Article 42.7 must be operational, not merely ceremonial. It is not a question of competing with NATO, but of ensuring that Europe can stand on its own two feet and be a credible security actor, both for its citizens and for its partners. Beyond increased spending, strengthening our industrial base must be accompanied by a renewed security doctrine , confidence and strategic ambition that is in line with today’s reality, said rapporteur Thijs Reuten (S&D, Netherlands) after the vote.
More information: European Parliament.
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