What the Greenland dispute means for NATO - and the future of Europe

It's winter in the northern hemisphere, and the weather is reflecting the frosty mood between Greenland is home to just over 56,000 residents, yet it's causing tensions that could upend Europe.(Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images) Greenland's importance is underlined by its abundance of natural resources.(Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters via CNN Newsource) President Donald Trump has been coy on whether or not he will seek to remove the US from the NATO alliance.(AP) Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen believes NATO will collapse without the US.(AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin could benefit from the US leaving NATO, or at the very least destabilising it.(AP) Donald Trump and some of his key allies. So will Trump make a decisive move to take over Greenland and what would that look like for the NATO alliance, Europe and beyond? Why does the US want Greenland? It's easy to wonder why an icy European island with a population of just 56,000 people is so coveted by the mightiest country on earth, but it holds great strategic importance . Its location between the US and Europe is key, as it sits in a corridor called the GIUK gap, a maritime passage between Greenland, Iceland and the UK. READ MORE:  Iran slams airspace shut as death toll climbs It links the Arctic to the Atlantic Ocean, making it a vital shipping route when considering Greenland's natural resources. The island holds large deposits of oil, gas and rare earth minerals, which are hugely important in a geopolitical context as the US faces a battle to stay on top of China . They are also critical to the world economy, used in the manufacture of electric cars, wind turbines and military equipment. Will the US leave NATO over the Greenland dispute? Trump has threatened to pull out of the NATO alliance before, including at the end of 2024, when he cited low defence spending numbers of several allies. He has not specifically threatened to leave the 77-year alliance during the latest Greenland dispute, dodging the question when asked by reporters in recent days . "You don't know what I'm going to do," he said in response to questions of whether he would leave NATO. "I wouldn't be telling you what I'm willing to do - certainly I'm not going to give up options - but it's very important." Laws drafted in before Trump's second term prohibit him from removing the US from the alliance without approval of a two-thirds Senate super-majority or an act of Congress. But you also aren't supposed to capture a sitting head of state of another country in the dead of night, and Trump seemed comfortable breaking those rules in Venezuela. Can NATO survive without the US? Ask many key European leaders and officials, and they will tell you the US is the bedrock of the NATO alliance. A key issue is Article 5 in the treaty, which says an attack on one is an attack on all. With Greenland part of Denmark, and Denmark being a NATO member,...

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