Those Painful Issues for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union as Trump Makes Threats About the Arctic Island

Earlier today, a informal Group of the Determined, largely composed of EU heads of state, met in the French capital with delegates of US President Donald Trump, attempting to achieve additional progress on a lasting settlement for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a plan to end the war with Russia is "largely complete", no-one in that meeting wanted to endanger maintaining the Washington involved.

Yet, there was an immense glaring omission in that opulent and luxurious gathering, and the underlying atmosphere was exceptionally uneasy.

Consider the events of the last few days: the US administration's contentious involvement in Venezuela and the American leader's insistence following this, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the viewpoint of defense".

This massive island is the world's largest island – it's sixfold the area of Germany. It is located in the Arctic region but is an self-governing possession of Denmark's.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was sitting opposite two influential personalities speaking on behalf of Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from European counterparts not to antagonising the US over the Greenland issue, lest that impacts US support for Ukraine.

Europe's leaders would have far preferred to keep Greenland and the negotiations on Ukraine apart. But with the political temperature rising from Washington and Denmark, leaders of leading European nations at the talks put out a communiqué saying: "This territory is part of NATO. Stability in the North must therefore be attained jointly, in partnership with NATO allies such as the America".

"It is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to rule on affairs regarding Denmark and its autonomous territory," the statement further stated.

The statement was greeted by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics argue it was slow to be drafted and, due to the small set of endorsers to the declaration, it was unable to show a European Union in agreement in purpose.

"If there had been a unified position from all 27 European Union countries, plus NATO ally the UK, in support of Copenhagen's sovereignty, that would have delivered a powerful warning to Washington," commented a EU defense expert.

Consider the paradox at hand at the European gathering. Numerous European government and other leaders, including the alliance and the European Union, are trying to engage the Trump administration in guaranteeing the future autonomy of a continental state (Ukraine) against the expansionist geopolitical designs of an outside force (Russia), immediately after the US has swooped into independent Venezuela by armed intervention, taking its president into custody, while also persistently openly challenging the territorial integrity of a different European nation (the Kingdom of 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, according to Copenhagen, exceptionally close allies. Or were.

The issue is, if Trump were to act upon his ambition to bring Greenland under US control, would it constitute not just an existential threat to NATO but also a major challenge for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is far from the first instance Trump has voiced his determination to acquire the Arctic island. He's proposed acquiring it in the past. He's also left open the possibility of taking it by force.

Recently that the island is "so strategic right now, Greenland is frequented by Russian and Chinese vessels all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the standpoint of strategic interests and Copenhagen is unable to provide security".

Denmark contests that assertion. It has lately committed to invest $4bn in Arctic security including boats, drones and aircraft.

Under a mutual pact, the US has a military base presently on the island – set up at the onset of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the total of personnel there from about 10,000 during the height of Cold War operations to around 200 and the US has often been faulted of neglecting Arctic Security, until now.

Copenhagen has indicated it is willing to talk about a larger US presence on the territory and further cooperation but in light of the US President's threat of independent moves, Frederiksen said on Monday that the US leader's goal to acquire Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

Following the American intervention in Venezuela this weekend, her colleges throughout Europe are heeding that warning.

"These developments has just highlighted – once again – the EU's core weakness {