Spain urges EU to create joint army amid Greenland dispute

• Spain urges the European Union to move toward a shared military force as a deterrent, arguing joint defense would be more efficient than separate national armies.
• The call comes ahead of an emergency EU summit amid tensions triggered by US President Donald Trump’s statements on Greenland.

Spain has called on the European Union to take concrete steps toward forming a joint military force, describing the move as a necessary deterrent and a sign of Europe’s strategic maturity.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Reuters on Wednesday that the bloc should first focus on pooling assets and properly integrating its defense industries before mobilizing what he described as a coalition of willing states.

“There is a legitimate debate about whether European citizens are ready to unite militarily,” Albares said. “But any joint effort would be far more efficient than 27 national armies, some of which remain disconnected from one another.”

Not a replacement for NATO

Albares stressed that a shared European army would not replace the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, but would reinforce Europe’s ability to protect itself.

“The goal of such a force is not to substitute NATO,” he said. “But we need to demonstrate that Europe is not a place that allows itself to be blackmailed militarily or economically.”

He made the remarks after meeting his Indian counterpart in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Greenland tensions frame debate

The comments came on the eve of an emergency meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday, convened to coordinate a unified response to statements by US President Donald Trump about buying or annexing Greenland.

A spokesperson for the European Council confirmed late Wednesday that the summit would proceed despite Trump’s announcement on social media that he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had “set a framework for an agreement” on the island.

European leaders echo call for autonomy

French President Emmanuel Macron said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the European Union “must not bow to the law of the strongest.”

“We believe we need more growth and more stability in this world,” Macron said. “But we prefer respect over bullying, science over conspiracies, and the rule of law over brutality.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also highlighted the need for greater independence. Speaking in Davos on Tuesday, she said a “series of recent geopolitical shocks” requires the EU to build a new, more autonomous Europe.

“We will only be able to seize this opportunity if we understand that this change will be permanent,” von der Leyen said.

US urges restraint

By contrast, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed confidence that European governments would not escalate tensions with Washington over Greenland.

“I am confident this will end very well for everyone,” Bessent told reporters on the sidelines of the Davos forum.

Earlier this week, he warned European governments against responding to any US measures related to Greenland, describing potential EU trade retaliation as “extremely unwise” if implemented.