US president Donald Trump’s bullish efforts to “buy” Greenland are, he claims, motivated by his desire to protect the western hemisphere from the security threat posed by China and Russia. Those countries were specifically chosen by Trump in retaliation to a comparatively small Nato military exercise carried out in Greenland last week. People march in Nuuk, Greenland on Saturday in protest at Donald Trump's stated intention to acquire the Arctic country. How would Ireland manage a similar deterioration in transatlantic relations during its EU presidency, which starts in July? All of which puts Ireland, which is loyal to Europe, in the position of being an opponent of the US rather than an economic ally.

Source: The Irish Times January 19, 2026 15:35 UTC