this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2026
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JD Vance on Thursday accused Denmark — a fellow NATO member — and the rest of Europe of failing to protect Greenland from the intentions of Russia and China.

"I guess my advice to European leaders and anybody else would be to take the president of the United States seriously," Vance told journalists at the White House when asked about Greenland.

After the US military successfully captured Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro last weekend, Donald Trump renewed his push to acquire Greenland, with the use of military force not out of the question.

Vance especially urged Europe to respond to Trump's insistence that the United States needs the island for "missile defense."

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[–] obinice@lemmy.world 3 points 33 minutes ago

We are taking him seriously, that's why we're improving our defences and strengthening our resolve to defend ourselves from military aggression.

Would Europe and her allies "win" a war with the USA? Difficult to say, depends what the win conditions are. Maybe not.

But she's got enough strength to make it a many years long affair, ending in nukes if up against the wall. Europe may not win, but it'll be a pyrrhic victory for the invaders.

Hopefully that knowledge will persuade the USA not to wage war against us. The best outcome is peace and international cooperation through mutual trust and a strong moral center.

We can only hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

[–] lemmy_outta_here@lemmy.world 8 points 1 hour ago

I'm not European, but my country is in NATO and we will be called upon to defend Greenland if the US should invade. JD, I want you to know that I take every fucking thing that Trump says seriously. Whenever he or you or that nosferatu-looking piece of shit miller say something stupid or evil, I completely believe you. Never do I think you fuckwits are bluffing or joking or whatever. I honestly believe, with my whole being, that you are the evil motherfuckers that you say you are.

That being said, I still don't intend to comply.

[–] DegenerationIP@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

Then Europe gonna tell him to take Europe even more serious.

What a pig.

[–] skozzii@lemmy.ca 14 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

For the last 10 yeas everyday I've been looking at the paper with constant headlines of Russia and China taking over Greenland and imposing their will...

Oh wait, not even once have I ever seen this problem.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

Well they can't just come right out and say we want the warming, Artic shipping lanes and rare earth minerals.

[–] MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 4 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

Vance especially urged Europe to respond to Trump's insistence that the United States needs the island for "missile defense."

Missile defense? Against whom, exactly‽

Giving it to him probably just presents an advantageous position to move on the EU, when he lets corporations melt Greenland for resources and decides he wants that next. He'll probably start with the U.K since it already foolishly excused itself from the group.

In slightly more seriousness (because my previous idea sadly isn't out of the question in clown-world, stupid as it was.)

China or Russia is the obvious one to want to defend against, but why so desperate as to break existing alliances to do it by force?

The entire world started posturing up and increasing defense spending dramatically largely in response to the Orange Bully's peacocking all over the place.

It's going down in history that this bastard and his sycophantic simps are literally responsible for stoking WWIII, all because a rich child-raper couldn't fathom the inside of a jail cell.

[–] MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 9 points 5 hours ago
[–] BigBrownBeaver@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago
[–] Weydemeyer@lemmy.ml 8 points 6 hours ago

They know just how bad it will look and how unpopular it will be if they just take Greenland by force. They’re trying to convince the Danes to sell it under duress to give it a veneer of legitimacy.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 5 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

Hey Greenland, JD Vance desperately wants you. this is an emergency: order slipcovers for all your sofas, now while you still can

[–] pet1t@lemmy.world 80 points 13 hours ago

take twump vewy sewiouswy! he's gonna be weally big mad!

[–] RalfWausE@feddit.org 30 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I don't know about our politician, but the population surely is taking him seriously... i am living near an american base in germany and i can assure anyone: Americans are really not popular with the local population right now, and at the moment its a really, really bad idea to enter some establishments in uniform.

[–] jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works 10 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Some of us are very sorry that our country, particularly our leadership, is a giant fuckwad and we would put a stop to it if we could.

[–] Thedogdrinkscoffee@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 hours ago

But you can. You just have to believe in yourselves.

[–] AnchoriteMagus@lemmy.world 0 points 1 hour ago

Nobody's going to swoop in and do it for us. If we want them to stop, we have to make them stop.

[–] RottenHeads@lemmy.world 65 points 13 hours ago
[–] AnchoriteMagus@lemmy.world 107 points 15 hours ago (3 children)

Danish troops are instructed to fire on invading US forces without asking for orders first.

Somehow, I think they're taking him seriously.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 49 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Literally the reason they got Maduro is no one thought they'd be stupid enough to try this.

Because the fact is, military crossing borders accidentally is pretty common, now when US troops do it, they're getting capped because they're a credible threat, even if an ally.

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 4 points 8 hours ago

military crossing borders accidentally is pretty common

"Accidentally," yes. Actually accidentally, very rare. One thing the military knows very well is where their assets are.

[–] Eternal192@anarchist.nexus 18 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Why wouldn't they shoot first? the US publicly announced that when they are there they will be there as an invader not an ally, more important is the question how will the EU react when they attack, will they help or say we have to strengthen our own borders, Germany won't do shit anyway, they've been America's bitch for the past 80+ years, Hungary is leaning towards Putin, Poland is busy worrying about Putin invading them after Ukraine, the French are busy with internal turmoil and the small Balkan countries can't come together for anything else except drinking, i know i'm from one of them, so who you gonna call?

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 hour ago

Ghostbusters?

[–] Zexks@lemmy.world -1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

If they were they would expel every US appointment immediately and prepare for invasion. I dont see that happening.

[–] AnchoriteMagus@lemmy.world 6 points 5 hours ago

And preemptively break their NATO treaty obligations? The Danes aren't shady backstabbers like us Americans, they're going to let us break the treaty first.

You know, basically act like our allies. Which they are, until we break the relationship.

[–] _Nico198X_@europe.pub 19 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (1 children)

you are the VICE president. you have NO POWER. you are a spare and a tie-breaker. that is all.

[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 5 points 5 hours ago

Oh come on, he has power, he's the podcaster-in-chief!

[–] 73QjabParc34Vebq@piefed.blahaj.zone 18 points 12 hours ago (1 children)
[–] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 6 points 7 hours ago

Respect my authority!

You better respect the couch man's authority or else he will come to your home and fuck your couch.

[–] dellish@lemmy.world 43 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Yet there's still a US base on Greenland because why? Surely step one is to kick them out.

[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 45 points 14 hours ago

The point is to demonstrate that they're still willing to cooperate, like allies. The only thing that will change that, are the US's own actions.

[–] green_red_black@slrpnk.net 14 points 14 hours ago

Treaty reason and NATO Policy Planning. Greenland is a very strategically important location and the increase interest in the Arctic only increased that.

In effect the Troops can only be removed if the US is removed from NATO (aka NATO Disbanded.)

[–] middlemanSI@lemmy.world 45 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

HAVE you EVEN said THANK YOU??

[–] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 16 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

Dear Mr Vance, go fuck a couch and stop shitting out of your mouth.

[–] JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world 32 points 16 hours ago

Guy we dont take seriously asks us to take a clown seriously.

[–] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 7 points 12 hours ago

Must've seen an example of the "good cop, bad cop" act on TV while trying to turn a couch into a loveseat with the ol' Netflix and chill.

[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 15 points 14 hours ago

They are. And the answer is still "no".

[–] TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Clowns are not to be taken serious.

[–] palordrolap@fedia.io 3 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Tell that to Batman.

There is a legit criminal in the White House, clown or otherwise, and we should be taking it as seriously as Bats does the Joker.

[–] TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Batman is the clown.

Ultra rich guy, doesn't pay taxes probably, uses his fortune to fight (while wearing a stupid costume) the ones revolting to survive and and fight the system, while he could have rizen the poverty level and reduce crime rates if he were to pay taxes, build community centers, pay fair wages, improved health care and education, etc.

The joker is a product of the system oppressing the general public, kept alive by people like Bruce Wayne out of greed.

[–] palordrolap@fedia.io 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I mean, I get you. Bruce Wayne is a capitalist, but depending on the writers, his philanthropy is incredibly deep and he's doing the best he can, crazy as he is.

But you (deliberately?) missed the surface level message I was going for. You don't turn your back on the Joker and you take him seriously.

And even if Bats is also a clown, are you saying you wouldn't take him seriously if he started causing havoc?

[–] TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

The joker may be dressed as a clown but does not behave like one.

and he's doing the best he can, crazy as he is.

He's clearly not, as he is a big part of why so many live in poverty and crime rates are so high. He's causing people to suffer and starve and then fights them when they are forces into crime and/or won't/can't get the mental help they desperately need.

When you tax the rich you can raise the overall quality of living of everyone, lowering crime rates, increasing health care and education and the rest of society with it.

Bruce Wayne would do his best if he would use his fortune to help people instead of fighting them.

It's the whole difference between the US and Norway. The US is the fucked up dystopian world from the batman universe where as Norway head more in the direction of Star Trek where people are happy, have basic needs all taken care of, are healthy and well educated, low crime rates, amazing incarceration system with only 15 to 20% of criminals to return back to prison (which is over 80% in the US), proper infrastructure, proper living situations, etc.

[–] palordrolap@fedia.io 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Sounds an awful lot like you're taking Batman, a person you said was a clown, seriously.

[–] TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

How did you come to that conclusion?

I see him as a selfish egocentric rich asshole and a part of the case and enforcement of the big issue at hand (instead of the solution), I don't take his superhero and victimrole bullshit serious at all. I see right through it. He's just like Elon Musk and Trump.

The fact that I'm worried about people like this because they are way to powerful and dangerous doesn't mean I take anything they say serious. I see them as a serious threat to society. And underage girls.

[–] palordrolap@fedia.io 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Ah. There it is. The distinction you're making that wasn't clear. You don't take what they say seriously, but you take them seriously otherwise.

Well, let me tell you, when a despot says they're going to do something despicable, it doesn't matter whether they're wearing clown makeup when they do so.

[–] TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 hour ago

Indeed, Trump and Musk are clowns in plain clothes.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 5 points 13 hours ago

I think they are taking him seriously, no?