🔗 Share this article

This very day, a informal Group of the Committed, mostly composed of European leaders, met in Paris with delegates of the Trump administration, attempting to secure more advances on a lasting settlement for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a plan to halt the war with Russia is "nearly finalized", not a single person in that meeting desired to jeopardise retaining the US engaged.

Yet, there was an enormous glaring omission in that impressive and glittering Paris meeting, and the prevailing mood was exceptionally strained.

Bear in mind the actions of the last few days: the White House's contentious involvement in the South American nation and the President Trump's assertion following this, that "we need Greenland from the viewpoint of strategic interests".

This massive island is the world's greatest island – it's 600% the size of Germany. It lies in the Arctic region but is an semi-independent possession of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was positioned facing two influential individuals speaking on behalf of Trump: emissary Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

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

EU heads of state would have much rather to compartmentalize Greenland and the negotiations on the war apart. But with the diplomatic heat rising from the White House and Denmark, leaders of big EU countries at the gathering put out a declaration stating: "Greenland is part of NATO. Defense in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in cooperation with NATO allies like the United States".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on issues concerning Denmark and Greenland," the declaration further stated.

The statement was greeted by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers say it was delayed to be formulated and, because of the limited group of signatories to the declaration, it was unable to show a Europe in agreement in objective.

"If there had been a unified statement from all 27 member states, along with alliance partner the UK, in defense of Danish authority, that would have delivered a powerful warning to the US," commented a European foreign policy analyst.

Consider the irony at work at the European gathering. Several European national and other leaders, including NATO and the EU, are attempting to secure the cooperation of the US administration in guaranteeing the future independence of a EU nation (the Eastern European nation) against the aggressive geopolitical designs of an outside force (Moscow), on the heels of the US has entered sovereign Venezuela by armed intervention, arresting its head of state, while also still actively threatening the sovereignty of a further EU member (Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Copenhagen and the US are both signatories of the transatlantic alliance the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, according to Danish officials, exceptionally strong partners. Previously, they were considered so.

The question is, were Trump to act upon his goal to assert control over the island, would it mark not just an existential threat to the alliance but also a profound crisis for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Trampled Underfoot

This is not an isolated incident President Trump has spoken of his determination to control the Arctic island. He's suggested buying it in the past. He's also not excluded a military seizure.

On Sunday that the landmass is "so strategic right now, Greenland is frequented by Russian and Chinese naval assets all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of strategic interests and Copenhagen is not going to be able to do it".

Denmark strongly denies that assertion. It has lately pledged to invest $4bn in Arctic security encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a bilateral agreement, the US operates a defense installation currently on Greenland – set up at the onset of the Cold War. It has reduced the total of personnel there from around 10,000 during peak the confrontation to about 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of overlooking the northern theater, up to this point.

Copenhagen has suggested it is amenable to dialogue about a bigger US role on the territory and additional measures but confronted by the US President's warning of going it alone, the Danish PM said on Monday that Washington's desire to control Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

Following the US administration's actions in Venezuela this weekend, her colleges in Europe are taking it seriously.

"This whole situation has just emphasized – once again – the EU's fundamental shortcoming {