Podcast Summary:

The Daily — The Global Showdown Over Greenland
Hosted by Natalie Kitroeff. Guest: Mark Landler (New York Times). Aired January 22, 2026.

Overview

This episode unpacks a dramatic and unprecedented global standoff: President Trump’s quest to claim ownership of Greenland from Denmark. The saga exposed fault lines in the NATO alliance, triggered a European backlash, and laid bare the shifting foundations of global order. Through a conversation with reporter Mark Landler, the episode traces how this crisis unfolded, the motivations driving Trump, Europe’s response, and what it signals about the future of alliances and power.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Greenland Gambit: From Bluff to Brink

• Trump's Ambition: Trump reignited his push to acquire Greenland for the U.S., initially dismissed as outlandish but quickly escalating to an international crisis.
• Partial Compromise: A tentative framework is reached, possibly allowing U.S. ownership of small territories (likely military bases), stopping far short of full acquisition.
  • "There appears to be the outlines of an agreement under which the U.S. would perhaps be granted some form of ownership ... over small pockets of land in Greenland." – Mark Landler, [02:01]

2. Trump's Motivations: Real Estate & Geopolitics

• Real Estate Mentality: Trump sees territorial acquisition as legacy-defining:
  • "He wants to acquire territory for the United States. Greenland would be a larger new acquisition ... than the Louisiana Purchase." – Landler, [03:57]
• Strategic Calculus:
  • Control over rare earth minerals and a military foothold in a geopolitically crucial Arctic region.
  • Fear of Chinese/Russian interest heightening urgency.

3. Is Ownership Necessary?

• Landler's Analysis: U.S. already benefits from an expansive 1951 treaty with Denmark, allowing significant military presence.
  • "The US could already obtain virtually all of these benefits under the existing arrangement ... The Danes would welcome that." – Landler, [05:29]

4. The Venezuela Precedent & Escalation

• Shift in Perception: After U.S. military intervention in Venezuela (ousting Maduro), global leaders started taking Trump's Greenland claims seriously.
  • "That event ... caused a lot of people to sit up and say, hey, wait a minute, when he's talking about Greenland, he's actually serious." – Landler, [06:42]
• Muscle Flexing: Advisors like Stephen Miller amplified a philosophy of might-makes-right, with "ownership" as psychological and strategic necessity.

5. Europe Reacts: Diplomacy, Military Moves, Economic Threats

• Danish & NATO Response:
  • Boosting military presence on Greenland; allied troop deployments as a signal of support.
• Trump's Threats Escalate: Moves from geopolitical saber-rattling to economic pressure, threatening a 10% tariff on Denmark and EU trade deals.
  • "If you're not willing to back off, I will reopen the trade deals ... and slap new tariffs." – Trump paraphrased by Landler, [09:14]

6. The Davos Confrontation

• Trump’s Speech: Delivered with swagger, Trump reiterates U.S. interest in Greenland, dominates the world stage, and issues a thinly veiled ultimatum:
  • "We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force... but I won't do that." – Trump, [11:19]
  • "You can say yes ... or you can say no, and we will remember." – Trump, [12:01]
• European Shift: After years of placating Trump, leaders move from negotiation to outright resistance.
  • "They’re beginning to say, ‘no way, we won’t tolerate this.'" – Landler, [12:39]

7. Existential Stakes for Europe and NATO

• Breaking Point: European leaders determine the crisis is existential:
  • "This is not open to negotiation. This is a moment where you have to stand up for your values." – Landler, [13:57]
• Rules-Based Order in Peril: Europe views the challenge as a fundamental threat to the international rules-based system and Western democracy.

8. Mark Carney’s “Era of Predation” Speech

• Canada’s PM Mark Carney gives a historic Davos speech, marking the end of the rules-based order:
  • “Let me be direct: We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition. That system is over ... We now live in an openly predatory world. The powerful have their power. We have something too: the capacity to stop pretending.” – PM Mark Carney, [18:40]
• Standing Ovation: Carney describes how middle powers must be pragmatic, even aligning with China, as alliances fracture.

9. Can Europe Respond? Constraints & Dilemmas

• Limited Military Options: No NATO member would confront the U.S. militarily over Greenland; focus shifts to piecemeal alliances and “coalitions of the willing.”
• Economic Leverage (‘the bazooka’): The EU can impose harsh retaliatory trade measures but unity and risk are huge obstacles.
  • "What is the bazooka exactly?" – Kitroeff, [23:25]
  • "Draconian measures ... but there seems to be well short of unanimity within the European Union about using measures like that." – Landler, [23:28]
• Mutual Incentive for an Off-Ramp: Financial markets reacted negatively, domestic and transatlantic resistance rose, so both sides sought de-escalation.

10. The Damage to NATO

• Crack at the Core: The crisis exposes NATO’s vulnerabilities, as the threat comes from within:
  • “When the ... linchpin member of the alliance now poses a direct threat to another member ... that fundamentally makes NATO no longer tenable.” – Landler, [26:37]

11. Geopolitical Realignment: China’s Opportunity

• Unintended Consequence: Trump’s pressure on allies drives them closer to China, the very opposite of his first-term strategy:
  • "You're going to see countries ... hedging against this uncertainty ... by drawing closer to China." – Landler, [28:15]

12. Thucydides’ Wisdom and Europe’s Path

• Power Politics Reign: Trump’s worldview encapsulated:
  • “The strong do what they can while the weak suffer what they must.” – Attributed to Greek historian Thucydides, [30:23]
• Europe Is Still a Player: Despite the crisis, Europe’s economic, cultural, and diplomatic weight means it can still shape global outcomes:
  • “Writing off Europe today would be as big a mistake as it would have been 200 years ago.” – Landler, [32:29]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trump's psychology:

  • “Because that's what I feel is psychologically needed for success.” – Paraphrasing Trump on owning Greenland, [08:00]

• On NATO’s existential crisis:

  • "NATO allies, in the words of one former American diplomat, had gone through five stages of grief with President Trump..." – Landler, [12:39]

• Mark Carney’s landmark speech:

  • “We now live in an openly predatory world. The powerful have their power. We have something too: the capacity to stop pretending... For countries ... to survive in that world, they're going to need to be much more pragmatic, to some extent less values-driven, willing to cut deals... including China.” – Carney, [18:40]

• On alliances unraveling:

  • “That fundamentally makes NATO no longer tenable.” – Landler, [26:37]

• On the new global order:

  • “It goes, the strong do what they can while the weak suffer what they must.” – Landler quoting Thucydides, [30:23]

Timeline of Important Segments

• Trump’s Greenland push & Framework Deal: [00:29]–[03:28]
• Trump’s Motivations and U.S.-Danish Arrangements: [03:57]–[06:24]
• Venezuela as Turning Point: [06:42]
• Escalation: Militarization and Trade Threats: [08:35]–[09:39]
• Davos Confrontation & Trump’s Speech: [09:39]–[12:35]
• Europe Stands Up at Davos: [12:39]–[14:35]
• Carney’s Speech & End of Rules-Based Order: [16:47]–[20:14]
• Europe's Response Options & Economic Leverage: [20:48]–[24:12]
• NATO’s Core Dilemma: [25:59]–[26:37]
• Global Realignment and China: [27:37]–[29:35]
• Power Dynamics and Europe’s Future: [30:14]–[32:41]

Conclusion

The Greenland crisis jolted the world, exposing deep fractures in the Atlantic alliance and heralding an era where raw power and shifting allegiances overshadow old rules and ideals. Trump’s brinkmanship forced Europe to reassess its security, economic, and diplomatic strategies—and accelerated a profound global realignment, with China looming as the new gravitational center.

Memorable Closing Thought:
"Europe is, for all its weaknesses, still a player ... writing off Europe today would be as big a mistake as it would have been 200 years ago." – Mark Landler, [32:29]