NATO ambassador says Europe 'has a tendency to overreact' over Greenland dispute

In an exclusive interrogation with Fox News Digital, U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker pushed backmost against increasing European backlash implicit Washington’s absorption connected Greenland aft France announced caller subject exercises with Denmark, saying Arctic information is simply a halfway American defence involvement and that Europe "has a inclination to overreact."

Asked whether the quality reflects American unit oregon European inaction, Whitaker said, "This is yet an contented betwixt the United States, Denmark and Greenland."

Whitaker said Greenland’s value has been wide for years arsenic the crystal melts, it reshapes the Arctic and opens caller routes. "The information of the precocious north, which I’ve talked astir a batch earlier this ever happened, is the astir important issue," helium said. "As the crystal thaws and arsenic routes unfastened up successful the Arctic, Arctic security, and truthful the information of Greenland, which is the bluish flank of the continental United States, is crucial."

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(L-R) Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles during the NATO acme of heads of authorities and authorities connected June 25, 2025 successful The Hague, Netherlands.  (Brendan Smialowski - Pool/Getty Images)

He stressed that Greenland’s determination makes it cardinal to U.S. defence planning. "If you deliberation astir Greenland arsenic portion of the entree to the naval assets, that monitoring and consciousness and fortification of that portion of the Western Hemisphere is important for the semipermanent information of the United States," Whitaker said.

Whitaker said caller diplomacy shows the contented tin beryllium addressed without escalation. "I cognize that a precise palmy gathering happened betwixt the Danes and Greenland and Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio, truthful I deliberation it’s going to beryllium constructive," helium said.

Still, helium cautioned European allies against inflaming tensions. "Europe sometimes has a inclination to overreact anytime that an contented is enactment retired connected the table," Whitaker said. "This is 1 of those things wherever cooler heads request to prevail."

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Military vas HDMS Ejnar Mikkelsen of the Royal Danish Navy patrols adjacent Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, March 5, 2025.  (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo)

NATO, deterrence and the "Reagan spirit"

Speaking from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Whitaker utilized Reagan’s "peace done strength" doctrine arsenic justification for pushing NATO allies to walk much and determination faster.

"The astir important happening that we're doing astatine NATO is, one, the United States is strong. Nobody denies that. We person demonstrated done Midnight Hammer, done what we did successful Venezuela and elsewhere, that the United States is susceptible and tin task power. We privation each of our allies wrong of NATO to beryllium arsenic arsenic strong, and they're not astatine this constituent successful time," helium said.

He added, "Some of them person surely go much capable, and that's wherefore you can't conscionable overgarment with a wide brushwood erstwhile it comes to each of our NATO allies. But determination are immoderate that are not."

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A Polish Army worker sits successful a vessel arsenic a NATO emblem flies down during the NATO Noble Jump VJTF exercises connected June 18, 2015, successful Zagan, Poland. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

"Europe and the EU are going to person to untie their hands from down their back," helium continued. "They’re going to person to deregulate, they are going to person to find much superior and economical growth, due to the fact that astatine the extremity of the day, that's what's going to let them to unrecorded up to the promises they've made to summation their defence spending and truthful their defence capabilities."

He said, "One of the things that I'm talking astir perpetually with our friends downtown successful the EU," Whitaker added, "is that they person to get their system going, and determination are proven, tried-and-true ways to bash it."

Whitaker said his apical precedence is ensuring NATO allies travel done connected the large defence commitments agreed to past twelvemonth successful The Hague.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) and the US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker (L) get astatine NATO Headquarters connected the archetypal time of the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting connected April 03, 2025 successful Brussels, Belgium. (Omar Havana/Getty Images)

"This is fig 1 connected my database close now," helium said, "making definite that the governmental commitments we made successful The Hague crook into existent subject capabilities astatine NATO."

He said proximity to Russia has shaped however earnestly countries instrumentality the threat.

"You look astatine the Baltic countries similar Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, and you look astatine the Nordic countries… they’re precise alert of the threats that Russia [poses]," Whitaker said, citing Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and its 2022 penetration of Ukraine.

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A NATO subject unit stands defender up of the two-day NATO acme astatine the World Forum, successful The Hague, connected June 22, 2025. (Remko de Waal /ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Poland, helium added, stands out. "Poland is clear-eyed," Whitaker said. "They’re gonna walk implicit 5% connected halfway defence successful the coming twelvemonth oregon two."

Others, helium said, are inactive lagging. "I support a dashboard, a one-page dashboard connected my table that is updated regularly," Whitaker said. "It’s excessively soon to tell." "It has to beryllium connected capabilities," helium said. "It has to marque them stronger, acceptable to combat tonight."

"President Trump announced a $1.5 trillion defence budget," Whitaker said. "We’ve demonstrated our capabilities that cipher other tin lucifer close now."

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NATO leaders airs successful this changeable taken successful June. Military leaders are gathering successful Washington connected Tuesday evening to sermon information options for Ukraine. (Claudia Greco/Reuters)

"I’m present astatine the Reagan Library, and it reminds me, Ronald Reagan truly was capable to enactment those policies successful spot to spur growth," Whitaker said. "President Trump surely has followed that aforesaid tradition, to unleash the American entrepreneur, unleash American innovation, and get retired of the way, get the regulations retired of the mode truthful that American companies tin turn and prosper."

As NATO moves forward, Whitaker said unit connected allies volition remain. "We’re asking our European and Canadian allies to bash more," helium said. "So far, truthful good."