A former commander of US forces in Europe has said he would refuse a presidential order to seize Greenland, warning that the White House’s aggressive posturing is destroying the trust that holds NATO together.
Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, who led the US Army in Europe until 2017, spoke following a tumultuous week in global affairs that included an American military raid in Venezuela and the seizure of a Russian tanker in the North Atlantic. But the administration’s refusal to rule out asserting control over Greenland—a territory of NATO ally Denmark—has alarmed defense officials.
Hodges said targeting a treaty partner would constitute an “illegal order” under the US Constitution.
“This is the first time where I’ve seen my country do something that potentially is going to damage the cohesion of NATO and the trust.”
— Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, via The Telegraph
Venezuela and Strategic Shifts
The general dismissed the official rationale for the recent intervention in Venezuela, which the administration framed as a counternarcotics mission. He argued the operation, which resulted in Nicolas Maduro appearing in a Manhattan courtroom, was designed to demonstrate military dominance and secure oil reserves rather than interdict drugs.
Context
The administration appears to be operating under a new national security strategy that treats the Western Hemisphere as an exclusive American sphere of influence.
While NATO has weathered internal disputes before—from the Greece-Turkey conflicts of the 1970s to France’s temporary withdrawal from the military command structure—Hodges warned this situation is different. The friction now originates from the alliance’s guarantor threatening the sovereignty of a member state.
The Kremlin considers this an unexpected gift.
European Responsibility
Hodges said the seizure of a Russian-flagged tanker off the Scottish coast was a valid enforcement of sanctions, yet he noted the irony of the operation. Such complex maritime missions rely heavily on intelligence sharing and logistical access provided by the very European allies Washington is currently alienating.
Despite his criticism of American unilateralism, Hodges expressed frustration with European capitals that have failed to prepare for a world where US protection is no longer guaranteed.
“I am sick and tired of hearing Europeans whining about ‘it takes too long, we don’t have enough, we can’t afford it’.”
— Lieutenant General Ben Hodges
He urged European powers to exploit the political vacuum by stepping up their own presence in the North Atlantic, suggesting that a robust deployment of British and European forces to Greenland could help check American ambitions while securing the alliance’s northern flank.