AS a Parliamentary delegate to the Council of Europe, every three months I spend one week in Strasbourg at the Parliamentary Assembly discussing issues of national and international importance with the 45 other countries that make up the Council of Europe.

Last week’s Assembly was particularly relevant following the indications that the American administration has decided it has ambitions on Greenland, up in the Arctic.

Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and the Arctic is becoming one of the defining theatres of strategic competition in the 21st century. Stability there is inseparable from wider European and transatlantic security.

But, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated in no uncertain terms, the future of Greenland is a matter for Greenlanders and for the Kingdom of Denmark. No one else.

Recent statements from President Trump linking the question of the sovereignty of Greenland to the imposition of tariffs on European nations has been deeply destabilising for international relations.

President Trump’s further comments about military service provided by many European countries, including the UK and Denmark, alongside American troops, was both ignorant and offensive. The Danes had one of the highest casualty rates per capita in Afghanistan and while Trump tried to row back on his comments in relation to British troops, he said nothing about Danish losses. His words were horrendously misjudged and such rhetoric undermines the principles of collective security and mutual respect that have underpinned international cooperation for decades.

Some people like the fact that Trump verbally ‘shoots from the hip’ and seemingly says the first thing that comes into his head. Personally, I find it deeply troubling that someone with access to such power is so clumsy with his words.

In terms of international relations, as was emphasised by Sir Keir, values such as social justice, cooperation and respect for international law, do not arise overnight. They are built through sustained commitment and yet now, that international system is at risk of profound fragmentation.

We cannot assume that defending the structures of the late 20th century will cause the world to revert to its former stability. Instead, we need to recognise that the architecture of international justice is in need of renewal. But the sovereignty and self-determination of Greenland cannot and must not be treated as a bargaining chip.

The challenge is not merely to preserve the international order as it once was, but to renew it, in a way that respects the rights of those most exposed to geopolitical competition. And when a strong friend attempts to bully, threaten and belittle those less strong, regardless of how long-standing historic relations may be, that puts that friendship at risk. The consequences of this crisis may well mean stronger and deeper ties with our closest neighbours, long-standing allies and our friends across Europe.

It should not have to be a choice between the USA and Europe. But if President Trump continues to make it impossible to bridge the Atlantic divide, it is inevitable that European cooperation is likely to significantly deepen.