The Painful Queries for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the EU as President Trump Makes Threats About Greenland

Earlier today, a self-styled Coalition of the Willing, mostly made up of European officials, gathered in Paris with delegates of President Trump, attempting to make additional advances on a durable settlement for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a plan to conclude the war with Russia is "largely complete", no-one in that meeting wished to jeopardise keeping the US engaged.

Yet, there was an colossal unspoken issue in that grand and glittering gathering, and the prevailing mood was exceptionally tense.

Recall the events of the recent days: the US administration's controversial involvement in the South American nation and the US president's declaration following this, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the standpoint of national security".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's greatest island – it's sixfold the size of Germany. It lies in the Arctic region but is an semi-independent territory of Copenhagen.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was sitting facing two powerful figures representing Trump: emissary Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from her EU counterparts not to alienating the US over Greenland, in case that impacts US assistance for the Ukrainian cause.

EU heads of state would have far preferred to separate the Arctic dispute and the negotiations on the war separate. But with the tensions escalating from Washington and Denmark, representatives of leading European nations at the talks released a declaration saying: "This territory is part of the alliance. Security in the Arctic must therefore be attained together, in conjunction with NATO allies including the US".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and Greenland, and them alone, to determine on affairs regarding Denmark and its autonomous territory," the declaration further stated.

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

"Were there a joint statement from all 27 European Union countries, plus NATO ally the UK, in support of Danish sovereignty, that would have delivered a resounding warning to America," commented a European foreign policy expert.

Ponder the paradox at play at the European gathering. Numerous EU national and other leaders, including NATO and the European Union, are attempting to engage the White House in guaranteeing the future sovereignty of a continental state (Ukraine) against the aggressive geopolitical designs of an outside force (Russia), on the heels of the US has intervened in independent Venezuela militarily, arresting its head of state, while also persistently openly threatening the autonomy of a different continental ally (Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Copenhagen and the US are both members of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, according to Copenhagen, exceptionally close allies. Previously, they were considered so.

The question is, should Trump fulfill his desire to bring Greenland under US control, would it represent not just an fundamental challenge to the alliance but also a major challenge for the EU?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is far from the first instance Trump has expressed his resolve to dominate the Arctic island. He's suggested purchasing it in the past. He's also not excluded a military seizure.

On Sunday that the territory is "so strategic right now, it is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the standpoint of defense and Denmark is unable to do it".

Denmark strongly denies that last statement. It recently vowed to spend $4bn in Arctic security for boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a treaty, the US maintains a defense installation already on Greenland – established at the beginning of the East-West standoff. It has reduced the total of personnel there from around 10,000 during peak the confrontation to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of neglecting the northern theater, up to this point.

Copenhagen has suggested it is open to discussion about a bigger US footprint on the territory and more but faced with the US President's assertion of independent moves, Frederiksen said on Monday that Washington's desire to acquire Greenland should be treated with gravity.

In the wake of the US administration's actions in Venezuela this past few days, her counterparts in Europe are taking it seriously.

"This whole situation has just underlined – once again – the EU's core vulnerability {