Bipartisan Bill Aims to Block Military Action Against NATO Allies
Greenland Sovereignty Protection Act 2026
A bipartisan coalition of United States lawmakers introduced the “Greenland Sovereignty Protection Act” on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, aimed at preventing the use of military force or federal funds to annex the Danish territory of Greenland. Spearheaded by Representative Jimmy Gomez and supported by a delegation including Senators Chris Coons and Thom Tillis, the bill serves as a direct legislative counterweight to President Donald Trump’s intensifying threats to acquire the Arctic island “the hard way.” The proposed legislation seeks to mandate that no federal appropriations be utilized for any military operation against a NATO member state without an explicit declaration of war by Congress. Lawmakers argued that even the suggestion of military action against Denmark, a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, undermines the credibility of the Article 5 mutual defense guarantee and threatens to “permanently rupture” the world’s most powerful military alliance.
The introduction of the bill coincided with the announcement that a high-level bipartisan delegation will travel to Copenhagen this weekend to reassure Danish and Greenlandic officials of the U.S. Congress’s commitment to their sovereignty. Senator Chris Coons, leading the delegation, stated that the group intends to send a clear message that the U.S. values its long-standing partnership with Denmark and has no intention of interfering in the internal status of Greenland. Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, joined the effort, emphasizing that it is critical for Congress to stand united in respecting the sovereignty of allies. The lawmakers noted that under current defense treaties, the U.S. already enjoys significant access to Greenland through the Pituffik Space Base and that any perceived security gaps should be addressed through diplomatic expansion rather than hostile acquisition.
The legislative landscape in Washington has become sharply divided as a competing measure, the “Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act,” was also introduced on Monday by Republican Representative Randy Fine. Fine’s bill would grant the President the authority to take “whatever steps necessary” to acquire Greenland, framing the takeover as a national security imperative to prevent Russian and Chinese expansion in the High North. President Trump has doubled down on this narrative, claiming that the island is “full of Chinese and Russian ships” and that control of the territory is essential for the “Golden Dome” missile defense system. While the administration has stated that a purchase remains the preferred option, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that “all options are on the table,” following the successful military incursion into Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
International reaction to the escalating rhetoric has been one of deep alarm, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warning that a U.S. attack on Greenland would mean “the end of NATO.” European Union leaders have expressed solidarity with Denmark, suggesting that any attempt at a forced takeover could lead to severe economic sanctions and the closure of U.S. military bases across the continent. In Greenland, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and other political leaders issued a joint statement rejecting U.S. control, asserting that “Greenland’s future must be decided by the Greenlandic people.” As the bipartisan Sovereignty Protection Act moves to the House and Senate floors, it is expected to serve as a pivotal test of the 119th Congress’s willingness to restrain executive war powers and preserve the integrity of the post-WWII international order.
