Those Uncomfortable Questions for NATO and the European Union as Trump Threatens Greenland

Just this morning, a self-styled Coalition of the Determined, largely composed of European heads of state, met in the French capital with representatives of President Trump, hoping to achieve more headway on a lasting peace agreement for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a plan to halt the conflict with Russia is "90% of the way there", not a single person in that meeting wanted to jeopardise retaining the Washington onboard.

Yet, there was an colossal unspoken issue in that grand and glittering Paris meeting, and the prevailing mood was profoundly uneasy.

Bear in mind the actions of the recent days: the Trump administration's controversial incursion in Venezuela and the US president's declaration shortly thereafter, that "our national security requires Greenland from the perspective of defense".

Greenland is the world's greatest island – it's sixfold the size of Germany. It lies in the Arctic but is an autonomous region of Copenhagen.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was seated opposite two key figures speaking on behalf of Trump: emissary Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from her EU allies to avoid alienating the US over the Arctic question, for fear that that affects US assistance for the Ukrainian cause.

The continent's officials would have far preferred to keep Greenland and the debate on Ukraine separate. But with the diplomatic heat escalating from the White House and Copenhagen, leaders of major EU countries at the talks issued a statement saying: "Greenland is part of the alliance. Stability in the North must therefore be achieved together, in cooperation with treaty partners including the US".

"The decision is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them alone, to decide on matters concerning the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the statement continued.

The statement was greeted by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts say it was delayed to be drafted and, due to the limited set of supporters to the statement, it failed to demonstrate a European Union in agreement in intent.

"Had there been a unified position from all 27 European Union countries, along with NATO ally the UK, in backing of Danish control, that would have sent a resounding warning to the US," stated a EU defense expert.

Reflect on the irony at hand at the France meeting. Multiple EU government and other leaders, such as the alliance and the EU, are seeking to involve the Trump administration in safeguarding the future autonomy of a European country (the Eastern European nation) against the aggressive territorial ambitions of an foreign power (Russia), immediately after the US has swooped into independent Venezuela by armed intervention, taking its president into custody, while also continuing to actively threatening the autonomy of another European nation (Denmark).

To compound the situation – Denmark and the US are both members of the military bloc NATO. They are, according to Danish officials, profoundly close allies. Previously, they were considered so.

The question is, were Trump to make good on his desire to acquire Greenland, would it mark not just an fundamental challenge to NATO but also a major crisis for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Trampled Underfoot

This is far from the first instance President Trump has expressed his resolve to acquire Greenland. He's proposed acquiring it in the past. He's also not excluded taking it by force.

Recently that the territory is "vitally important right now, Greenland is frequented by foreign naval assets all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the perspective of national security and Denmark is unable to do it".

Copenhagen refutes that last statement. It has lately pledged to allocate $4bn in Greenland defence for boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a mutual pact, the US maintains a defense installation presently on the island – founded at the start of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the number of troops there from about 10,000 during peak that era to approximately 200 and the US has often been faulted of taking its eye off polar defense, until now.

Copenhagen has suggested it is amenable to dialogue about a larger US presence on the territory and additional measures but faced with the US President's threat of going it alone, Frederiksen said on Monday that the US leader's goal to control Greenland should be taken seriously.

Following the US administration's actions in Venezuela this weekend, her counterparts across Europe are doing just that.

"The current crisis has just emphasized – once again – the EU's fundamental vulnerability {