BEIJING, January 16. /TASS/. Europe faces a choice between sovereignty and transatlantic solidarity over Greenland; the current situation is becoming a test for the so-called rules-based world order, says Friday’s editorial in the Global Times daily.
"Greenland is witnessing a geopolitical pressure test within the West, but it is not merely a matter between the US and Europe. Compared with the US' blatant threats of force and its existing military bases in Greenland, Europe's small-scale military operations seem more like a 'gestural response,' an attempt to save face and appease Denmark while avoiding truly angering the US," the newspaper writes.
The authors of the article question whether Europe will compromise. "This is not only a matter of face and interests for Denmark and Europe, but it’s a matter of whether Europe has the courage to stand up and defend hard-won regional peace and justice when international rules and order it has relied on are facing threats," the article says. The newspaper recalls that for decades, Europe has touted itself as a "defender and promoter of the rules-based international order," and now, the time has come to test it.
The material notes that the exclusive, confrontational, and power-based security concept represented by collective security mechanisms like NATO cannot bring true security to Europe. "Europe might consider boldly envisioning how to build a Europe without NATO and a world without hegemony," the newspaper says.
"Europe should be aware that if it cannot create the expectation that a US forcible takeover of Greenland would be met with strong retaliation, then Washington putting Greenland into its pocket will most likely be only a matter of time. By then, what Europe loses will be far more than land and sovereignty. Such compromise would create a pernicious demonstration effect worldwide. Beyond safeguarding its own sovereignty, if Europe wants to become a significant pole in a multipolar world, it should have the responsibility to defend international law and international order," the article says.
About leverage
At the same time, the daily believes, Europe is not without leverage. What it lacks is the courage to bid farewell to the past and a unified will to shake off dependency. "Economically, the EU is the US' largest trading partner. Targeted trade countermeasures could precisely strike sensitive US sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. Militarily, although the EU's rapid reaction forces are limited in size, deploying them within the Arctic Circle could still create effective deterrence and, together with Denmark's defense capabilities, raise the cost of US action," the newspaper points out. Otherwise, it writes, America's next targets might be Iceland, Norway, Sweden, or even Canada.
"The Greenland issue is a mirror that reflects Europe's diplomatic predicament and tests its moral responsibility. In the face of an international landscape marked by turbulence and transformation, real security comes from mutual trust and cooperation among countries, and from the shared respect for and adherence to international law and rules by all states, especially the major powers," the daily concludes.