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N.L.-born Denmark strategist says countries need to push back on
Trump's push for Greenland

   Alex Kennedy
   | CBC News | Posted: January 25, 2026 9:30 AM | Last Updated: 2
   hours ago

   'There's a lot more is us than there is of him,' says Tom
   Crosbie

   Image | GREENLAND-PROTEST/

   Caption: Protesters gather in front of the U.S. consulate in
   Greenland. Strategist Tom Crosbie says Canadians should be
   taking a more proactive role as well in pushing back against
   Donald Trump's policies. (Reuters)
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   A Newfoundland-born military strategist in Denmark says its up
   to world leaders and militaries to hold strong — and push back
   — against escalations from U.S. President Donald Trump.
   Tom Crosbie, an associate professor at the Royal Danish Defence
   College in Copenhagen, said Friday that residents of Denmark
   feel both outrage and confusion over Trump's desire to annex
   Greenland.
   And while it might feel like a world away in Newfoundland and
   Labrador, Crosbie said Labrador's proximity to Greenland
   highlights how everyone is connected in one way or another.
   "We need to take a more proactive role in trying to push back
   against Trump, because now we see that, really, he's quite
   openly rejecting norms of the rules of law," Crosbie said.
   "There's a lot more is us than there is of him."

   Image | Tom Crosbie

   Caption: (Royal Danish Defence College)
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   Crosbie works to educate Danish military officers in
   operations, as well as the social science and planning aspects
   of war.
   While Greenland does play a central and changing role in global
   security, Crosbie said the U.S. has already long played a key
   role in that. Trump's desire to increase that role seems
   sudden, he added, leaving him to question what Trump thinks he
   has to gain.

     The situation is that we're rebuilding a ship while we're
     sailing it.- Tom Crosbie

   This week, Trump said that he would no longer use force to
   acquire Greenland. It's left Crosbie to wonder where Trump
   could go next.
     * By suddenly declaring a deal on Greenland, Trump demolished
       his case for owning it

     * Threats against Greenland are attacks on Inuit, says
       Nunatsiavut leader in Labrador

   "Denmark is not interested in trading Greenland for anything,
   so this may just be over now. But again, it's hard to say,"
   Crosbie said.
   Moving forward, Crosbie said it's important for countries like
   Canada, those in the European Union and beyond to take a more
   proactive role in pushing back on Trump and his escalations.
   That includes figuring out ways to operate without a reliance
   on the United States.
   "The situation is that we're rebuilding a ship while we're
   sailing it," Crosbie said.

   Image | USA-TRUMP

   Caption: (Jessica Koscielniak/Reuters)
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   "We're trying to figure out how do we remove the United States
   from being inside all of our systems in all these different
   ways … without creating vulnerabilities in the eyes of our
   adversaries."
     * Trump's Greenland saga highlights need for more defence
       spending in N.L., Wakeham says

   Crosbie said he would advise policymakers to study what does
   and doesn't work when negotiating with Trump to help make that
   possible.
   For example, Crosbie said Trump seems focused on the "here and
   now", so waiting things out and pushing any advantages a
   country has could prove beneficial.
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