A video clip of an Austrian activist has gone viral on social media in recent days: Günther Fehlinger is quoted on well-known North American media platforms such as CBC, The Mirror US, and Daily Express US as saying that Europe would seize all American military bases on the continent if the United States were to annex Greenland. In doing so, the outlets incorrectly identify Fehlinger as a “NATO official.”
Fehlinger founded an organization called the “Austrian Committee for NATO Enlargement.” It has no official connection to the military alliance, of which Austria is not a member. Austria’s Foreign Ministry told APA that Fehlinger is not a representative of Austria.
“I regret that there has been confusion in the reporting and that some US media describe me as a ‘NATO official,’” Fehlinger himself told APA. However, he added: “What I said needs to reach Americans.” In the video, he stated: “If the US takes Greenland, we will take away every single American base, from Aviano to Ramstein.” From a legal standpoint, he claimed to APA, such a move would be “relatively easy to implement” by challenging the Status of Forces Agreements that allow US military bases in Europe.
Video responds to X post by Katie Miller
The video clip was first published by Fehlinger on his YouTube channel early Monday and was quickly shared on X and Reddit. The activist said it was a response to an X post by Katie Miller, the wife of Trump deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. She had posted an image of Greenland with a US flag and the caption “Soon.” “That’s when I spoke up. Any military expansion by America must be firmly rejected,” Fehlinger said.
Fehlinger considers an actual US military move against Greenland “unrealistic.” “It’s absolute nonsense,” he said, but added that the idea had been promoted and spread by several prominent figures, including Trump himself. “If threats are already being exchanged, then it’s necessary to make clear what’s at stake,” he said.
Former general voices similar view
Fehlinger is not alone in his views. Retired French General Michel Yakovleff recently said in a television interview that Europe would force the withdrawal of US troops if NATO were to collapse due to Trump’s Greenland push. “We will not wage war against the United States—we lack the means,” Yakovleff said. But US soldiers would be expelled. “Not a single one of your ships would remain in the Mediterranean,” he said, adding that if NATO collapsed, it would be time to consult lawyers and consider a separation.
The activist has repeatedly made provocative statements in the past. He has previously called for the breakup of states he considers rivals of NATO. Most recently, in September 2025, he sparked strong reactions in India after calling on X for the “dismantling of India” and sharing a map dividing Indian territory among neighboring countries. His account was subsequently blocked in India.
