🔗 Share this article

This very day, a so-called Coalition of the Committed, mostly composed of EU leaders, met in Paris with delegates of President Trump, hoping to secure additional headway on a lasting settlement for Ukraine.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a framework to conclude the conflict with Russia is "90% of the way there", not a single person in that meeting wanted to risk maintaining the Americans involved.

Yet, there was an colossal glaring omission in that grand and luxurious Paris meeting, and the fundamental tension was exceptionally tense.

Bear in mind the events of the last few days: the US administration's divisive incursion in the South American nation and the US president's insistence soon after, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the standpoint of national security".

This massive island is the world's greatest island – it's six times the dimensions of Germany. It is located in the Arctic but is an self-governing possession of Copenhagen.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Copenhagen's leader, was sitting across from two key personalities speaking on behalf of Trump: emissary Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from European colleagues to refrain from antagonising the US over Greenland, for fear that that undermines US assistance for Ukraine.

EU heads of state would have much rather to separate the Arctic dispute and the discussions on Ukraine apart. But with the political temperature rising from Washington and Copenhagen, representatives of major states at the gathering released a declaration asserting: "Greenland is part of NATO. Stability in the Arctic must therefore be achieved together, in conjunction with treaty partners such as the US".

"Sovereignty is for Copenhagen and the Greenlandic authorities, and them alone, to decide on affairs related to Denmark and its autonomous territory," the declaration further stated.

The announcement was welcomed by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics say it was delayed to be put together and, owing to the small number of endorsers to the declaration, it did not manage to project a Europe aligned in objective.

"Had there been a joint position from all 27 member states, along with alliance partner the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's control, that would have delivered a resounding signal to America," stated a European defense expert.

Consider the paradox at play at the Paris summit. Several European government and other leaders, from the alliance and the EU, are attempting to engage the White House in guaranteeing the future sovereignty of a continental state (the Eastern European nation) against the aggressive territorial ambitions of an outside force (Russia), immediately after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela by armed intervention, detaining its leader, while also still publicly threatening the territorial integrity of a different EU member (Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Copenhagen and the US are both participants of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, as stated by Danish officials, profoundly close allies. Or were.

The dilemma is, should Trump act upon his goal to assert control over the island, would it represent not just an fundamental challenge to the alliance but also a profound problem for the EU?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is far from the first instance Trump has voiced his intention to acquire Greenland. He's floated the idea of buying it in the past. He's also refused to rule out forcible annexation.

On Sunday that the territory is "crucially located right now, it is frequented by Russian and Chinese naval assets all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the standpoint of national security and Denmark is incapable to provide security".

Copenhagen contests that last statement. It recently committed to invest $4bn in Greenland defence encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

Under a treaty, the US operates a military base presently on Greenland – founded at the start of the East-West standoff. It has reduced the number of troops there from around 10,000 during the height of the confrontation to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of neglecting Arctic Security, until now.

Copenhagen has signaled it is willing to talk about a bigger US footprint on the territory and more but in light of the US President's threat of unilateral action, Frederiksen said on Monday that the US leader's goal to take Greenland should be treated with gravity.

After the Washington's moves in Venezuela this past few days, her counterparts across Europe are doing just that.

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