Those Difficult Questions for NATO and the European Union as President Trump Makes Threats About Greenland

Earlier today, a so-called Coalition of the Committed, largely composed of EU officials, convened in Paris with delegates of the Trump administration, hoping to make additional progress on a sustainable peace deal for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a plan to conclude the war with Russia is "nearly finalized", no-one in that gathering wished to jeopardise maintaining the US engaged.

Yet, there was an enormous unspoken issue in that impressive and luxurious summit, and the fundamental tension was profoundly uneasy.

Recall the developments of the recent days: the White House's contentious involvement in Venezuela and the President Trump's assertion shortly thereafter, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the perspective of national security".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's largest island – it's sixfold the dimensions of Germany. It is situated in the far north but is an semi-independent possession of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was seated facing two influential personalities acting for Trump: emissary Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from European counterparts not to antagonising the US over the Arctic question, lest that impacts US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

EU heads of state would have greatly desired to keep the Arctic dispute and the negotiations on the war distinct. But with the political temperature mounting from the White House and Copenhagen, representatives of big European nations at the Paris meeting released a communiqué stating: "Greenland is part of NATO. Security in the North must therefore be attained collectively, in cooperation with treaty partners such as the US".

"The decision is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to rule on affairs concerning Denmark and its autonomous territory," the communiqué continued.

The statement was greeted by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics say it was delayed to be drafted and, because of the limited number of signatories to the declaration, it failed to demonstrate a Europe in agreement in objective.

"Were there a unified position from all 27 EU partners, plus alliance partner the UK, in defense of Danish control, that would have conveyed a strong warning to America," noted a European defense specialist.

Reflect on the irony at play at the European gathering. Numerous European government and other officials, from NATO and the EU, are attempting to involve the Trump administration in safeguarding the future sovereignty of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the aggressive geopolitical designs of an outside force (Russia), immediately after the US has intervened in independent Venezuela militarily, taking its president into custody, while also continuing to actively challenging the autonomy of a different continental ally (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Denmark and the US are both signatories of the defensive pact the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, in the view of Copenhagen, profoundly strong partners. Previously, they were considered so.

The issue is, were Trump to make good on his desire to assert control over the island, would it represent not just an existential threat to the alliance but also a significant crisis for the EU?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Trampled Underfoot

This is far from the first instance Trump has expressed his intention to dominate Greenland. He's suggested acquiring it in the past. He's also refused to rule out forcible annexation.

He insisted that the island is "vitally important right now, it is patrolled by foreign vessels all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the vantage point of national security and Denmark is unable to handle it".

Denmark contests that last statement. It not long ago pledged to spend $4bn in Arctic security including boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a mutual pact, the US has a military base currently on Greenland – founded at the beginning of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the figure of troops there from about 10,000 during peak Cold War operations to approximately 200 and the US has often been faulted of taking its eye off Arctic Security, recently.

Denmark has indicated it is willing to talk about a bigger US footprint on the island and additional measures but faced with the US President's threat of going it alone, Frederiksen said on Monday that Trump's ambition to take Greenland should be taken seriously.

Following the Washington's moves in Venezuela this weekend, her fellow leaders across Europe are doing just that.

"These developments has just highlighted – once again – Europe's basic shortcoming {