NATO official allegedly said Europe would take every US base if Trump takes Greenland. Here’s the real story
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/nato-greenland-every-us-base/
Publish Date: 2026-01-16 14:24:00
Source Domain: www.snopes.com
Here are the key points from the summarized article:
– In January 2026, a video circulated online with a purported statement from a NATO official named Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn about the U.S. taking Greenland, claiming that Europe would seize all U.S. military bases if the U.S. took Greenland.
– Social media users and some news outlets incorrectly attributed the video to Fehlinger-Jahn, a man they thought was connected to NATO.
– In reality, Fehlinger-Jahn is an Austrian economist and coordinator of a campaign for Austria’s NATO membership, not an official or spokesperson for NATO.
– Fehlinger-Jahn clarified that the committee he is associated with aims to secure NATO membership for Austria but has no official ties to NATO at the time the video was shared.
– Fehlinger-Jahn made the remarks in a video posted on his own social media, expressing hypothetical leverage Europe could use against U.S. policies regarding Greenland.
– The context of the video spread amid speculation from then U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration about acquiring Greenland, a Danish territory.
