The main reason Europeans are reluctant to get aggressive in public is that they see Trump’s backing as vital to providing viable security guarantees for Ukraine under any peace deal with Russia. At the same time, many allies simply can’t imagine a world in which the U.S. takes Greenland by force. “Maybe it’s wishful thinking,” the diplomat said, but noted: “We should be prepared for it.”
Another European official confirmed that governments are discussing how to strike back effectively against American territorial demands. “There is leverage in Europe, but it’s not being utilized to the fullest extent,” the official said.
The main reason Europeans are reluctant to get aggressive in public is that they see Trump’s backing as vital to providing viable security guarantees for Ukraine under any peace deal with Russia. | Sergey Kozlov/EPA
At the moment, Europeans are not mentally ready for the kind of escalation that such retaliation would unleash. “We have to be prepared,” the official added.
Within NATO — where any discussion of punishing the Americans remains largely out of bounds — some emphasize that doing so would be a double-edged sword. “Using bases as bargaining chips for leverage — and it can be done — would result in mutual damage,” said one NATO diplomat. “Europe would further lose security guarantees … and the U.S. would lose its most valuable forward operating platform.”
What assets, exactly?
As of 2024, the U.S. had 31 permanent bases and 19 other military sites across Europe as part of the United States European Command. That included at least 67,500 active-duty servicemen, according to the latest U.S. Department of Defense figures, with the lion’s share of those stationed in Germany, Italy and the U.K.
These include NATO’s largest base in Europe at Ramstein, Germany, and air force bases in the U.K. at Lakenheath and Mildenhall, which together host around 3,000 military personnel. The Aviano air base in Italy supports the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Alps, and is “a key NATO air power hub,” according to the Center for European Policy Analysis.
