The Difficult Issues for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the EU as Trump Targets the Arctic Island
Just this morning, a self-styled Coalition of the Determined, largely made up of EU leaders, convened in the French capital with envoys of President Trump, aiming to secure additional advances on a durable peace agreement for the embattled nation.
With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a framework to end the hostilities with Russia is "90% of the way there", nobody in that gathering desired to endanger keeping the Americans onboard.
Yet, there was an immense unspoken issue in that impressive and sparkling gathering, and the underlying atmosphere was profoundly tense.
Consider the developments of the recent days: the White House's divisive incursion in Venezuela and the President Trump's declaration following this, that "our national security requires Greenland from the perspective of national security".
Greenland is the world's largest island – it's 600% the size of Germany. It lies in the Arctic but is an semi-independent possession of the Kingdom of Denmark.
At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was sitting opposite two key personalities acting for Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
She was under pressure from European allies not to alienating the US over the Greenland issue, for fear that that affects US backing for Ukraine.
Europe's leaders would have greatly desired to compartmentalize Greenland and the debate on the war separate. But with the political temperature escalating from Washington and Copenhagen, representatives of big EU countries at the gathering put out a statement stating: "Greenland is part of NATO. Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved together, in partnership with NATO allies including the US".
"Sovereignty is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning the kingdom and Greenland," the declaration continued.
The communique was greeted by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts contend it was delayed to be drafted and, because of the limited set of signatories to the declaration, it did not manage to show a Europe in agreement in purpose.
"If there had been a unified statement from all 27 EU partners, plus NATO ally the UK, in defense of Copenhagen's authority, that would have conveyed a strong message to Washington," commented a EU foreign policy specialist.
Ponder the irony at work at the France meeting. Numerous European government and other leaders, from NATO and the European Union, are seeking to involve the US administration in guaranteeing the future autonomy of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the aggressive land claims of an outside force (Russia), on the heels of the US has intervened in independent Venezuela militarily, taking its president into custody, while also continuing to publicly threatening the sovereignty of a different European nation (the Kingdom of Denmark).
To add to the complexity – Copenhagen and the US are both members of the military bloc NATO. They are, in the view of Copenhagen, profoundly close allies. At least, they were.
The question is, were Trump to fulfill his goal to acquire Greenland, would it represent not just an severe risk to the alliance but also a profound problem for the EU?
Europe Risks Being Trampled Underfoot
This is not the first time Trump has spoken of his resolve to dominate Greenland. He's floated the idea of purchasing it in the past. He's also left open the possibility of a military seizure.
On Sunday that the landmass is "so strategic right now, Greenland is frequented by foreign vessels all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the standpoint of strategic interests and Copenhagen is unable to provide security".
Copenhagen strongly denies that assertion. It has lately pledged to spend $4bn in Greenland defence for boats, drones and aircraft.
As per a treaty, the US has a military base presently on Greenland – set up at the beginning of the East-West standoff. It has cut the total of troops there from about 10,000 during peak Cold War operations to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of overlooking polar defense, up to this point.
Denmark has indicated it is open to discussion about a larger US footprint on the territory and further cooperation but confronted by the US President's warning of independent moves, the Danish PM said on Monday that Trump's ambition to acquire Greenland should be taken seriously.
In the wake of the American intervention in Venezuela this weekend, her fellow leaders throughout Europe are taking it seriously.
"These developments has just underlined – yet again – the EU's core weakness {
