Garčević Comments on Greenland’s Role in Larger U.S.–EU Tensions
In an interview for N1 TV, broadcast on January 20, Ambassador Vesko Garčević, Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Pardee School, was asked to comment on current developments in global affairs, President Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland, U.S. intervention in Venezuela, and Serbia’s relations with the United States. Garčević highlighted two points in his commentary: one on the state of the U.S.–EU-NATO alliance and second touched on Serbia’s so-called “four-pillar” foreign policy. He stated, “While common sense would suggest that an open confrontation over Greenland is unlikely, given President Trump’s previous incomprehensible and unpredictable moves, I can no longer rule out anything.”
Even if tensions over Greenland somehow recede—which I do not expect—relations between European allies and the U.S. have already been strained to an unprecedented and unimaginable degree compared to just a year ago. We are at a geostrategic turning point reminiscent of the end of the bipolar world, and Greenland is merely one flashpoint in the broader conflict between traditional European powers and the U.S. After this, NATO—if it survives this geopolitical earthquake at all—will never be the same.
Many international experts argue that by weakening the 80-year-old Euro-Atlantic alliance, President Trump advances Moscow’s agenda and works in Russia’s favor.
The Professor claimed that Serbia’s so-called four-pillar foreign policy—balancing between the U.S., the EU, Russia, and China—is now reaching a dead end, referencing the case of NIS as an example. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Belgrade has found itself in an increasingly difficult position, and despite its balancing efforts, Serbia is trusted by none of the four powers. While Moscow looks unfavorably on Belgrade’s flirting with Washington, the expectation that President Trump would bring a fresh start to U.S.–Serbia relations, has proven fundamentally wrong.
The full feature can be viewed here.
Vesko Garčević is a professor of the practice of international studies at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and the director of the Center for the Study of Europe. An expert on multilateral issues, Garčević is the co-author of Montenegro and Serbia: A Velvet Divorce? (Bloomsbury Academic, 2025) which explores the divergent past between Serbia and Montenegro between 1988 and 2023. To read more about his work and accomplishments, visit his faculty profile.