Those Painful Issues for NATO and the European Union as President Trump Threatens the Arctic Island

Earlier today, a so-called Coalition of the Determined, mostly consisting of EU heads of state, gathered in Paris with delegates of the Trump administration, aiming to secure further headway on a lasting peace deal for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a plan to halt the war with Russia is "nearly finalized", nobody in that gathering wanted to endanger retaining the Americans onboard.

Yet, there was an colossal glaring omission in that opulent and sparkling summit, and the underlying atmosphere was extremely strained.

Consider the events of the recent days: the White House's contentious incursion in Venezuela and the American leader's insistence shortly thereafter, that "we need Greenland from the standpoint of national security".

Greenland is the world's largest island – it's six times the size of Germany. It is located in the Arctic region but is an autonomous territory of Denmark's.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was sitting across from two powerful personalities acting for Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from her EU allies to refrain from antagonising the US over Greenland, lest that impacts US assistance for the Ukrainian cause.

EU heads of state would have greatly desired to compartmentalize Greenland and the negotiations on the war separate. But with the political temperature mounting from the White House and Copenhagen, leaders of big EU countries at the talks put out a declaration stating: "Greenland is part of NATO. Stability in the Arctic must therefore be attained collectively, in conjunction with alliance members including the US".

"The decision is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and them only, to decide on issues related to the kingdom and Greenland," the communiqué added.

The announcement was greeted by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics argue it was slow to be put together and, because of the small group of supporters to the statement, it failed to demonstrate a European Union united in objective.

"Had there been a joint position from all 27 EU partners, along with alliance partner the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's authority, that would have conveyed a powerful signal to the US," noted a European foreign policy specialist.

Reflect on the contradiction at hand at the European gathering. Multiple European national and other leaders, such as the alliance and the EU, are seeking to engage the Trump administration in safeguarding the future sovereignty of a EU nation (the Eastern European nation) against the hostile geopolitical designs of an outside force (Russia), on the heels of the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela by armed intervention, arresting its head of state, while also still actively threatening the sovereignty of another European nation (Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Copenhagen and the US are both signatories of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, in the view of Copenhagen, profoundly strong partners. At least, they were.

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

Europe Risks Being Marginalized

This is not the first time Trump has spoken of his determination to dominate the Arctic island. He's floated the idea of purchasing it in the past. He's also refused to rule out forcible annexation.

Recently that the territory is "crucially located right now, it is covered with foreign ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of strategic interests and Denmark is not going to be able to handle it".

Denmark contests that last statement. It recently vowed to allocate $4bn in the island's defense encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a bilateral agreement, the US maintains a military base currently on Greenland – established at the onset of the Cold War. It has scaled down the number of troops there from approximately 10,000 during the height of Cold War operations to around 200 and the US has long been accused of taking its eye off Arctic Security, up to this point.

Denmark has signaled it is willing to talk about a larger US role on the territory and further cooperation but in light of the US President's warning of independent moves, Frederiksen said on Monday that the US leader's goal to control Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

After the US administration's actions in Venezuela this weekend, her fellow leaders in Europe are doing just that.

"This whole situation has just emphasized – once again – the EU's fundamental weakness {