Greenland ought to be concerned right now!
- Thread starter Ross Dolan
- Start date
T. A. Gardner
Serial Thread Killer
Let's assume that happens. The US takes Greenland by force. US bases in Europe are taken over by the countries they're in and the US is forced to leave.View attachment 70120
This quote in the image is real and comes from Gunther Fehlinger, chairman of the Austria Committee for NATO Enlargement. He made this statement in a video posted online in early January 2026, responding to provocative U.S. rhetoric about potentially annexing Greenland.
Here’s the verified context:
What Fehlinger said
- He warned that if the U.S. tried to take Greenland, Europe would retaliate by confiscating all U.S. military bases in Europe, including Aviano (Italy), Ramstein (Germany), and others in Romania and beyond.
- His exact words included:
Why he said it
- Fehlinger was reacting to a viral post by MAGA podcaster Katie Miller, who shared an image of Greenland covered in a U.S. flag with the caption “Soon.”
- He viewed this as a serious threat and responded with a warning about European leverage, saying Europe could operate without U.S. troops or nuclear protection if necessary.
No — Fehlinger is not a NATO official in the formal sense. He chairs a pro-NATO advocacy group in Austria, but his statements do not represent NATO’s official position. They reflect his personal and political stance, meant to signal European resistance to unilateral U.S. actions.
Is it official NATO policy?
www.the-express.com
NATO official threatens to seize all US bases in Europe if US invades ...
https://www.the-express.com/news/us-1news/195332/nato-official-slams-us-greenland?utm_source=copilot.com
How does that affect the economy of those nations? How does the loss of access to US military contractors and suppliers affect them?
On the other hand, the US has the largest, and best equipped, military in Europe today. France is unlikely to fight at all on top of that for starters.
Think Trump is dumb enough to affect the businesses in a negative way?
Jake Starkey
Verified User
It is scattered piece meal all over Europe.
Europe would sanction us, which along with the massive reduction of American purchasing in Europe, would cause an Even Greater Depression.
The US won't tempt walking that path.
Europe would sanction us, which along with the massive reduction of American purchasing in Europe, would cause an Even Greater Depression.
The US won't tempt walking that path.
T. A. Gardner
Serial Thread Killer
Not true. Most of the US forces are located on large, well established, bases in just a few locations.
Wrong. Europe is far more dependent on the US than the other way around. In Europe there would be a recession and possibly a depression.
So you say.
Is it telling when certain posters won't respond?
Jake Starkey
Verified User
Nope. You are simply guestimating. And they are not organized to work together in a united war-making capacity.
T. A. Gardner
Serial Thread Killer
$344 billion a year loss to Europe is estimated.
Quick US troop exit would leave Europe vulnerable and cost allies up to $344 billion, study finds
A rapid US military withdrawal from Europe would leave allies on the Continent exposed to attack and cost them hundreds of billions of dollars to offset the loss of American firepower, a new report says.
To replace the US military presence would run Europe about $1 trillion in new military spending too.
Replacing US military support in Europe would cost $1T
European NATO countries would face a short-term “window of vulnerability” against Russian aggression.
www.politico.eu
The Trump card: What could US abandonment of Europe look like?
The latest actions of the Trump 2.0 administration have heightened fears about a dwindling US commitment to Europe. But US abandonment could manifest in different ways – as a bargaining chip or as a policy goal. To prepare for all possible scenarios, the EU and its Member States must invest in a...
www.iss.europa.eu
It would take Europe decades (note the plural) to rebuild their own militaries to replace what the US took out.
Jake Starkey
Verified User
If NATO in Europe nationalized the US military bases in Europe, what would be the estimated monetary loss to both sides?
| Side | Type of loss | Rough magnitude (order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Stranded infrastructure & relocation | $30–60+ billion over time |
| United States | Higher long‑term operating costs (if posture maintained via rotations) | Billions per year |
| European hosts | Lost US deterrence, need to expand own forces | Many billions per year in added defense spending |
| European hosts | Full assumption of base operating costs | Billions per year |
