Taking a leaf out of French President Emmanuel Macron’s 2018 playbook, Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, wants to militarise the European Union.

The socialist PM based the unoriginal idea on his belief that the United States was going to invade Greenland.

Arguing his case, Sanchez even went as far as associating Trump’s deal for the defence of Greenland and the Arctic with Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Jumping the gun, he told News site La Vanguardia, “If we focus on Greenland, I must say that a US invasion of that territory would make Vladimir Putin the happiest man in the world.

“Why? Because it would legitimise his attempted invasion of Ukraine.” 

Putin would be “doubly pleased if the United States used force in Greenland,” Sanchez added, “because it would put an end to NATO.”

Faced with the threat of Greenland being invaded by the US, he said, “Europe must advance its integration process and equip itself with a truly common defence.” 

This means creating a “truly European armed force, with a truly European defence industry.”

Also, “we don’t need the unanimous agreement of all 27 member states,” the Spanish PM asserted.

To add, any EU standing army would incorporate “building bridges with other countries around the world that are also deeply concerned about Greenland.”

“Europe must act!” Sanchez exclaimed.

When asked by La Vanguardia if he actually believed the US would invade Greenland, Sanchez replied, “When one hears and reads certain statements, one must take them seriously.

“If we are facing a possible unilateral annexation of Greenland that would legitimise the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the demise of NATO. Europe must act quickly.”

In other words, militarise the EU. Give the career bureaucrats in Brussels a standing army.

“Spain is doing just that,” Sanchez continued.

For example, his government has “increased Spain’s defence budget. They are participating in common financing mechanisms, and they are deploying deterrent troops in Eastern Europe.”

Laughably, when quizzed about whether Spain would put the Spanish Army on the ground in Greenland, Sanchez didn’t rule it out.

“No decision has been made,” he stated.

Flexing, the Spanish PM explained that he was in crisis talks with parliamentary groups and Spain’s opposition.

On the issue of defending Greenland from a US invasion, Sanchez said his talks included discussion with “other countries involved, and particularly with Denmark at a technical level.”

Sanchez is unlikely to follow through because there was never any real threat of the US invading Greenland.

The countries that did send a tokenistic force into Greenland – in order to muscle Trump – were met by the American president with a 10% tariff.

Their virtue-signalling appears to have backfired. 

Heightening the embarrassment for Sanchez and company, Trump announced a January 22 deal on Truth Social, stating that, 

“He and NATO chief Mark Rutte had formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” the US president declared.

“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America and all NATO Nations.”

“Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs,” Trump affirmed.

“Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland.” 

Rutte told media outlets the idea of the US buying Greenland did not come up in their talks.

They did discuss “how to implement Trump’s plans for Greenland” because of its geopolitical significance.

This was about “how to protect Greenland and the whole Arctic, which borders 7 NATO nations, and Russia,” Rutte recalled on Fox News.

“The agreement is a good one,” he explained.

Worth noting, the United States already has a military base in Greenland.

Thule Air Base is the Department of War’s “northernmost installation” and exists as part of a “mutual defence agreement” between the US and the Kingdom of Denmark.

As such, Sanchez’s remarks are now a major embarrassment for Spain’s Socialist administration.

Readers would be forgiven for mistaking his interview with a Monty Python skit.

File this one under: Trump derangement syndrome.