The Painful Issues for NATO and the EU as Trump Targets the Arctic Island

This very day, a self-styled Group of the Determined, predominantly consisting of European leaders, gathered in the French capital with envoys of the Trump administration, attempting to secure more advances on a durable settlement for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a plan to end the conflict with Russia is "nearly finalized", nobody in that room desired to jeopardise retaining the Washington involved.

Yet, there was an immense unspoken issue in that opulent and luxurious summit, and the prevailing mood was profoundly uneasy.

Bear in mind the events of the past week: the White House's divisive intervention in the South American nation and the President Trump's declaration shortly thereafter, that "we need Greenland from the standpoint of national security".

This massive island is the world's largest island – it's six times the size of Germany. It is situated in the Arctic but is an autonomous region of Copenhagen.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was positioned facing two influential figures acting for Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from European counterparts to avoid antagonising the US over the Arctic question, in case that affects US assistance for Ukraine.

EU heads of state would have far preferred to keep Greenland and the negotiations on Ukraine separate. But with the diplomatic heat mounting from the White House and Denmark, representatives of major European nations at the Paris meeting released a declaration asserting: "This territory is part of NATO. Defense in the North must therefore be achieved jointly, in cooperation with alliance members like the United States".

"It is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," the declaration added.

The statement was welcomed by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts say it was tardy to be drafted and, due to the limited number of endorsers to the statement, it was unable to demonstrate a European Union united in intent.

"Were there a common statement from all 27 EU partners, along with NATO ally the UK, in backing of Danish authority, that would have sent a powerful signal to America," commented a EU foreign policy expert.

Consider the contradiction at work at the Paris summit. Numerous EU national and other officials, from NATO and the EU, are attempting to involve the US administration in guaranteeing the future independence of a EU nation (the Eastern European nation) against the hostile geopolitical designs of an outside force (Russia), immediately after the US has swooped into independent Venezuela with force, taking its president into custody, while also still publicly challenging the territorial integrity of a different continental ally (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Copenhagen and the US are both members of the defensive pact NATO. They are, according to Danish officials, profoundly key friends. At least, they were.

The dilemma is, were Trump to fulfill his desire to bring Greenland under US control, would it represent not just an fundamental challenge to NATO but also a significant challenge for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Trampled Underfoot

This is not the first time Trump has voiced his determination to control the Arctic island. He's proposed acquiring it in the past. He's also refused to rule out taking it by force.

Recently that the territory is "so strategic right now, it is patrolled by foreign naval assets all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the perspective of strategic interests and Copenhagen is not going to be able to do it".

Copenhagen strongly denies that claim. It not long ago pledged to allocate $4bn in Arctic security including boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a treaty, the US operates a strategic outpost already on Greenland – set up at the onset of the Cold War. It has scaled down the total of troops there from approximately 10,000 during the height of the confrontation to approximately 200 and the US has long been accused of neglecting polar defense, up to this point.

Denmark has suggested it is open to discussion about a expanded US footprint on the island and more but in light of the US President's warning of going it alone, the Danish PM said on Monday that Trump's ambition to acquire Greenland should be taken seriously.

After the American intervention in Venezuela this weekend, her fellow leaders across Europe are taking it seriously.

"These developments has just highlighted – for the umpteenth time – the EU's basic weakness {