"Krone" analysis

USA wants Greenland: When NATO fights NATO

US President-elect Donald Trump has set alarm bells ringing in the military alliance because of his Greenland statements. What happens if one member attacks another? The "Krone" asked experts.

Since it was founded in 1949, NATO has been regarded as a guarantor of security in Europe. Its central principle, regulated in Article 5 of the NATO treaty: an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. But what happens if a member state itself becomes the aggressor and attacks another member of the alliance? The recent rhetoric of US President-elect Donald Trump, who did not want to rule out the use of military force against Greenland, Danish territory and therefore a NATO member, raises precisely this question.