🔗 Share this article

This very day, a informal Alliance of the Determined, predominantly composed of European officials, met in the French capital with envoys of US President Donald Trump, hoping to secure further advances on a sustainable settlement for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a roadmap to conclude the war with Russia is "largely complete", no-one in that room wanted to endanger keeping the Americans involved.

Yet, there was an enormous glaring omission in that opulent and glittering Paris meeting, and the prevailing mood was profoundly tense.

Consider the events of the past week: the US administration's controversial involvement in Venezuela and the President Trump's declaration shortly thereafter, that "we need Greenland from the standpoint 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 Arctic but is an semi-independent possession of Denmark's.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was positioned across from two influential figures speaking on behalf of Trump: emissary Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

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

EU heads of state would have much rather to keep Greenland and the negotiations on the war distinct. But with the tensions mounting from Washington and Copenhagen, leaders of leading EU countries at the Paris meeting put out a declaration stating: "This territory is part of the alliance. Defense in the Arctic must therefore be achieved together, in partnership with NATO allies such as the US".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and no one else, to rule on affairs concerning the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the communiqué added.

The communique was welcomed by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics say it was delayed to be put together and, owing to the limited number of endorsers to the declaration, it failed to project a Europe aligned in purpose.

"Had there been a unified statement from all 27 European Union countries, in addition to NATO ally the UK, in support of Copenhagen's authority, that would have delivered a resounding message to the US," commented a European defense expert.

Ponder the contradiction at work at the France meeting. Several EU government and other officials, from NATO and the European Union, are seeking to involve the US administration in protecting the future sovereignty of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the aggressive territorial ambitions of an foreign power (Russia), on the heels of the US has intervened in independent Venezuela militarily, taking its president into custody, while also still actively threatening the territorial integrity of another European nation (Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Copenhagen and the US are both signatories of the defensive pact the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, as stated by Copenhagen, exceptionally close allies. At least, they were.

The issue is, should Trump fulfill his desire to acquire Greenland, would it mark not just an severe risk to the alliance but also a significant problem for the EU?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is not an isolated incident Trump has expressed his determination to control Greenland. He's floated the idea of acquiring it in the past. He's also refused to rule out forcible annexation.

On Sunday that the landmass is "so strategic right now, it is patrolled by foreign vessels all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the perspective of defense and Denmark is unable to handle it".

Denmark strongly denies that assertion. It has lately vowed to invest $4bn in Greenland defence encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a mutual pact, the US has a defense installation already on the island – founded at the start of the Cold War. It has cut the number of personnel there from around 10,000 during peak the confrontation to about 200 and the US has long been accused of neglecting Arctic Security, until now.

Denmark has signaled it is open to discussion about a larger US footprint on the territory and additional measures but confronted by the US President's warning of independent moves, the Danish PM said on Monday that Trump's ambition to take Greenland should be treated with gravity.

In the wake of the American intervention in Venezuela this weekend, her counterparts throughout Europe are taking it seriously.

"The current crisis has just highlighted – yet again – the EU's basic shortcoming {