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Analysis

January 19, 2026

European defence founders and VCs weigh in on Trump’s Greenland threats: ‘A serious distraction’

Some VCs believe the US's aggression could benefit pure-play defence startups


Anne Sraders

4 min read

A boat in Greenland. Photo: Unsplash.

The possibility of the US taking over Greenland has rapidly become the principal concern of Europeans in the last few days, as EU nations weigh €93bn worth of tariffs in retaliation to the US’s threats. It’s also sparked unease among Europe’s defence founder and VC circles.

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Anne Sraders

Anne Sraders is a senior reporter at Sifted, based in Berlin. She covers the VC industry and deeptech startups. She also writes Sifted's weekly VC newsletter Up Round. Follow her on X and LinkedIn

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