Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy is making it clear what he thinks would happen if the United States tried to take Greenland by force: complete disaster.

The NATO Problem Nobody Seems To Be Discussing

Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Murphy didn't mince words when host Kristen Welker asked about the implications. "It would be the end of NATO," he said flatly.

Here's why that matters: Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, which happens to be a NATO member. If the US attacked it, that would trigger Article 5, the alliance's mutual-defense provision. Suddenly, countries like the United Kingdom and France would be treaty-bound to defend Greenland against American aggression. Murphy, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, understands this isn't some abstract diplomatic concern. It's a potential nightmare scenario where Washington finds itself fighting its own allies.

The backdrop here is President Donald Trump's renewed interest in acquiring the Arctic island. His argument centers on national security, pointing to Russian and Chinese activity in the region. It's worth noting the US already operates Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland, a critical missile-warning and space-surveillance facility that's been there since 1943 under a defense agreement with Denmark.

The White House Isn't Closing Any Doors

What's remarkable is that the administration hasn't taken military action off the table. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated last week that "utilizing the US military is always an option at the Commander in Chief's disposal," though she emphasized diplomacy comes first. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also won't categorically rule out force, is scheduled to meet Danish officials this week to discuss American objectives regarding the mineral-rich territory.

Meanwhile, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, serving as Trump's envoy to Greenland, posted on X Sunday that the president's acquisition push deserves "hospitality, not hostility."

Europe Has A Clear Answer: No

European leaders aren't leaving much room for interpretation. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and party leaders said Friday that the island's future "must be decided by the Greenlandic people."

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen delivered perhaps the starkest warning, telling Danish broadcaster TV2 last Monday that "if the US chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, everything stops." That mirrors Murphy's apocalyptic assessment. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have joined a European declaration stating plainly that "Greenland belongs to its people."

So we're left with an interesting diplomatic standoff: the US expressing interest in territory that everyone else insists isn't for sale, while nobody in Washington will definitively promise not to use force to get it.