Spain has called on the European Union to move toward creating a joint military force, arguing that deeper defense integration is needed to deter external threats and prevent coercion, amid tensions sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks about acquiring Greenland.

Speaking to Reuters ahead of meetings in Davos, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the EU should first integrate its defense industry and then mobilize a “coalition of the willing” to strengthen the bloc’s military capacity.

Albares acknowledged that public willingness to mobilize militarily remains a legitimate concern but said Europe would be more effective acting collectively rather than through individual national forces. “A joint effort would be more efficient than 27 separate national armies,” he said.

His comments come ahead of an emergency meeting of EU leaders in Brussels aimed at coordinating a joint response to Trump’s threats to buy or annex Greenland. The meeting is expected to go ahead despite Trump’s announcement that he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had formed the framework of a deal.

Albares stressed that a potential EU army would not replace NATO, underscoring the continued importance of the transatlantic alliance. “But we need to demonstrate that Europe is not a place that will let itself be coerced militarily or economically,” he said.

Spain’s position remains unchanged despite signals that Washington may be easing its stance on Greenland. A senior foreign official said Madrid welcomed the opening of dialogue within the NATO framework, if confirmed.

The idea of a supranational European army dates back to 1951, when it was proposed to counter the Soviet Union and manage German rearmament, but the plan was rejected by France’s parliament in 1954.