Greenland could be the final rupture with the West.

This year, at the European Parliament's Barcelona office Christmas toast, usually a celebratory gesture, there was a sense of pessimism. Among the attendees—politicians, journalists, Brussels correspondents, and other professionals connected to current events in the European Union— A mantra-like phrase was repeated: a complicated year is coming for Europe.Even the fraternal spirit in the room, courtesy of a jazz group playing Christmas carols, couldn't disguise the fact that these are dark days for European self-esteem. Despite ending with "Merry Christmas and long live Europe!", the speech given by the socialist Javi López, Vice-President of the European Parliament, also sounded less than festive: "The challenges that Europe will have to face in 2026 are enormous. [...] The threats come from the west, from the east... and also from within."

The landscape with which the European Union ended the year is, undeniably, worrying. A source in Brussels said a few days ago that December has been the month of the "American nightmare".And I think it's fair to say that 2025 was the year the European fantasy awakened: Brussels and all the governments in the club had to understand that Washington is no longer a reliable partner and is unlikely to ever be again.

Donald Trump, who has returned to the White House sporting a more radicalized version of himself, has made his intrinsic contempt for European partners abundantly clear. On December 5, the publication of the new US national security strategy resonated like a slap in the face to most EU foreign ministries. The content was devastating: the US sees Europe as a continent in decline, exposed to a civilizational crisis, and believes that only the extreme right can reverse this situation.

Four days later, on December 9, Trump dispelled any doubts in an interview on Political: defined Europe as "one a group of declining nations led by weak people who want to be too politically correct." The list of attacks is much longer: the red carpets rolled out for Putin to discuss how it will benefit him in Ukraine, the interference in the German elections in favor of the AfD, the shameful trade deal in Scotland, the humiliating image in the Oval Office with the teacher Trump's enveloping of the students Europeans, insults to leaders, intentions to "turn" Greenland into "part of the United States." I could go on.

The new year, as has become customary in recent years, has begun with a major event: Trump has fulfilled his threats, bombed Venezuela, captured Nicolás Maduro, and will take control of the country. Days later, the triple headline remains impressive.

And the European Union has once again been surprised and caught off guard, unable to react with a swift and coordinated response, and ultimately adopting a cautious tone to avoid upsetting the sheriff from Washington, which, in times of war, supplies it with everything—or almost everything. The bombs gringas The situation on Venezuelan soil is raising persistent alarm bells in Europe: in today's world, which is moving towards the 19th centuryThe law of the strongest prevails once again, and the new geopolitical order is based on force and the struggle between great powers, where, evidently, we Europeans have lost our place. Many of the ingredients that make up the EU—diplomacy, multilateralism, values, understanding—have become outdated.

The aggression against Venezuela paints another disturbing picture: capturing Maduro It has served Trump to escalate threats to countries like Colombia, Cuba, and Greenland. Regarding Colombia, he has said: "Yes, I think it's fine [to attack it]." Regarding Cuba: "The regime is about to fall." Regarding Greenland: "We definitely need Greenland." Every headline must impress.

But let's focus on Greenland. A highly strategic island—a source of numerous natural resources and key to controlling the North Atlantic and the coveted Arctic—it is an autonomous territory belonging to Denmark, a member of the European Union and NATO. The consequences of the United States' territorial aggression—which they are already carrying out emotionally— an allied country are directly unpredictable and catastrophic. In the best – or worst – of cases, it would represent the European Union's definitive genuflection to Trump, a sign that the daddy The White House has also taken control of Brussels. In the worst—or best—case scenario, it would mean the definitive breakup of the Transatlantic Alliance and, therefore, of the West, a term in danger of extinction. In Beijing, Moscow, and other capitals like Delhi, they must be rubbing their hands together.

Are the threats to Greenland a lantern From Trump? Hard to say. The more radicalized version with which he has returned to the White House has shown that we must take his bellowing seriously. The US president justifies his intentions regarding the frozen island as a way to prevent it from falling into the hands of Russia or China. He asserts that Washington is the only one capable of defending it: "Even the European Union needs us to have it." More contempt for Europe: "What would they do? At most, they'd add a few more dog sleds." Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has demanded that Trump cease his threats. The president isn't even listening. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also demands in a statement: "Stop the pressure. Stop the insinuations. Stop the annexation fantasies." In Washington, it's as if nothing is amiss.

And the rest of the European leaders still don't dare to raise their voices forcefully. The one who comes closest to doing so is the Spaniard Pedro SánchezFrom his position as a progressive leader in the club—everyone else in Europe has been falling—he seeks to establish himself as a counterweight. Trump doesn't listen to him much either.

We've had six intense days of 2026 and we already have the question of the year: What if 2026 is also the year of Europe's break with the United States?

We know that, strategically, it's still unsustainable: the famous strategic autonomy It is far from arriving and Europe remains stuck in the strategic vulnerability. We know that, socially, it can also be unsustainable: Trump's fury can have various harmful effects on the interests of European politics and citizens. But we also know that, politically, the consequences of continuing to bow to Trump's delusions are dangerous: the cult of the current White House weakens democracies and propels far-right forces, for whom Trump—perhaps as a New Year's wish—is asking to take the reins of governments.