Due to the current geopolitical situation in Europe, it may be concluded that the enforcement of Article 5 of the Washington Treaty (NATO) is under suspicion. In practice, it has been invoked only once. The concerns of frontline countries such as Poland therefore appear entirely reasonable. It is also possible to assume that Brussels may revive the concept of Western Europe in foreign policy affairs at the institutional level. The lack of a common armed force within the European Union is an additional factor. Consequently, the unity of the European Union could easily face the risk of collapse.
On the one hand, the Western European political community is currently under significant pressure because of the foreign policy of the United States. The Greenland issue between the United States and Denmark may further deepen rifts within NATO. In this regard, such developments could pose serious challenges for Western Europe. On the other hand, there is simultaneously an ongoing Russian military campaign against Ukraine. The absence of a strong common military mechanism within the EU to counter external threats would increase the vulnerability of the Union. The armed attack on Ukraine is supplemented by drone interference and cyber-attack measures targeting Europe. Thus, it becomes vital for European Union member states to devise policies addressing all forms of hybrid warfare.
In the context of current geopolitical tensions, it is also worth mentioning the outspoken statements of Belgian Defence Minister Francken. He emphasized that the armed forces must be ready for future warfare, which will involve data integration as well as the use of drones, robots, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. According to him, Belgium is not yet adequately prepared for these challenges. Francken also noted that in recent years the country has prioritized social policy at the expense of areas that are important for Belgium’s role on the international stage.[1]
Washington’s claims to Greenland entail undermining the collective defence strategy within the Alliance. The fact that Western Europe is no longer regarded as an equal partner in U.S. foreign policy further reinforces this concern. It appears that the loss of Greenland would weaken the ability of Western European countries to influence international political affairs. Undoubtedly, in light of a supposed escalation surrounding Greenland, Russia would be enabled to expand its geopolitical interests in Eurasia.
In response, Belgium’s defence minister has already noted that transatlantic unity is essential, speaking amid growing concern in Europe over U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to assert control over Greenland.[2] Germany could put forward a proposal to establish a joint NATO mission to formally oversee and safeguard the Alliance’s security interests in the Arctic, though in practice the mission would primarily focus on protecting Greenland, Bloomberg reports.[3] Trump’s ambitions have provoked strong backlash across Europe. German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil stated that the United States must respect Denmark, Greenland’s sovereignty as a self-governing territory, and international law. He stressed that decisions regarding Greenland’s future rest exclusively with Denmark and Greenland, adding that territorial sovereignty and integrity must be upheld. According to Klingbeil, these principles of international law apply to all countries, including the United States. Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is expected to travel to Washington in the coming days, where he will meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and intends to raise the issue of Greenland during their talks.[4]
Greenland is becoming less a territory in question and more a symbol of competing visions of the global order. A joint NATO Arctic mission would allow Europe to internationalize the issue, reducing bilateral U.S.–Danish tensions. The dispute is less about Greenland itself than about the future nature of Western leadership. Military considerations, emerging shipping routes driven by climate change, and the existence of natural resources place the territory in a strategically important position. Although U.S. interest in Greenland is not something new, it has been expressed more explicitly under Donald Trump. This raises the question of how the United States exercises power within alliances – whether as a consensual leader or as a severe hegemon. For NATO, this tests whether the Alliance can adapt to Arctic security challenges without internal fragmentation.
From the perspective of international law, intervention in Greenland may generate several complications: it could set precedents for power-based territorial claims, undermine the Alliance’s shared values of sovereignty and a rules-based order, and consequently stimulate the growing influence of power politics over international legal norms – especially as climate change opens new strategic frontiers.
Within these circumstances, it is worth mentioning Poland’s recent efforts to enhance the military capabilities of its armed forces. The recent Oreshnik missile attack launched by Russia against Ukraine’s Lviv region, located not far from Poland, once again underscores the challenges facing Warsaw. The allocation of large funds to the military industry is an integral part of the strategic policy for increasing the level of defense capability.
Beyond military cooperation with NATO members, close ties with South Korea have also been established.
Poland has concluded a €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) defense agreement with South Korea to jointly manufacture medium-range precision-guided missiles. The deal предусматривает the establishment of a joint Polish–South Korean production facility in the northwestern city of Gorzow Wielkopolski. Missile deliveries are scheduled for the period between 2030 and 2033. Poland’s Defense Minister, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, described the agreement as a major step toward strengthening national defense industry independence, highlighting that technology transfer, licensed production, and domestic manufacturing capabilities will allow Polish engineers to participate directly in the production of advanced weapons systems. The deal marks the third major military agreement between Poland and South Korea in recent years. Previous agreements were signed in 2022 and 2024 [5].
National responses, such as Poland’s essential military investments and diversification of defense partnerships, illustrate a broader policy toward strategic self-reliance within the Alliance. Europe’s ability to navigate the geopolitical pressures will depend on its capacity to balance transatlantic cooperation with greater strategic autonomy, ensuring that unity remains central to its security architecture. Anyway, the evolving geopolitical landscape in Europe exposes deep structural vulnerabilities within both NATO and the European Union.
[3]https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/germany-proposes-nato-military-mission-to-1768147357.html
[4] Ibid.