🔗 Share this article

Just this morning, a self-styled Alliance of the Willing, mostly consisting of EU heads of state, gathered in the French capital with envoys of US President Donald Trump, attempting to make more advances on a durable settlement for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a roadmap to end the conflict with Russia is "nearly finalized", nobody in that meeting wanted to risk retaining the Americans involved.

Yet, there was an enormous glaring omission in that opulent and glittering summit, and the prevailing atmosphere was exceptionally tense.

Consider the actions of the past week: the White House's contentious intervention in Venezuela and the US president's insistence shortly thereafter, that "we need Greenland from the viewpoint of national security".

This massive island is the world's largest island – it's 600% the area of Germany. It lies in the Arctic region but is an semi-independent territory of Denmark's.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was sitting facing two powerful individuals speaking on behalf of Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from her EU allies to avoid antagonising the US over the Greenland issue, lest that affects US assistance for Ukraine.

Europe's leaders would have far preferred to keep Greenland and the negotiations on the war apart. But with the tensions rising from the White House and Denmark, representatives of big European nations at the gathering issued a communiqué asserting: "The island is part of NATO. Defense in the Arctic must therefore be attained collectively, in cooperation with alliance members including the America".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them alone, to decide on matters regarding Denmark and Greenland," the statement further stated.

The communique was greeted by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics contend it was tardy to be formulated and, because of the limited group of supporters to the statement, it failed to demonstrate a European Union in agreement in purpose.

"Were there a common statement from all 27 European Union countries, along with alliance partner the UK, in support of Danish sovereignty, that would have delivered a strong signal to the US," noted a European defense expert.

Reflect on the irony at hand at the France meeting. Numerous EU government and other officials, such as the alliance and the European Union, are attempting to involve the US administration in safeguarding the future independence of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the aggressive geopolitical designs of an external actor (Russia), immediately after the US has swooped into independent Venezuela with force, taking its president into custody, while also still actively challenging the territorial integrity of a further continental ally (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both members of the military bloc NATO. They are, as stated by Copenhagen, exceptionally strong partners. Previously, they were considered so.

The dilemma is, if Trump were to make good on his desire to assert control over the island, would it represent not just an existential threat to the alliance but also a profound challenge for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Overlooked

This is not an isolated incident Trump has expressed his intention to acquire the Arctic island. He's proposed buying it in the past. He's also not excluded a military seizure.

On Sunday that the territory is "crucially located right now, it is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the perspective of national security and Denmark is unable to do it".

Copenhagen contests that claim. It has lately committed to invest $4bn in Arctic security including boats, drones and aircraft.

Under a mutual pact, the US has a defense installation presently on the island – established at the start of the Cold War. It has cut the total of personnel there from about 10,000 during the height of that era to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of overlooking Arctic Security, up to this point.

Copenhagen has signaled it is open to discussion about a bigger US role on the territory and further cooperation but confronted by the US President's assertion of going it alone, the Danish PM said on Monday that Washington's desire to acquire Greenland should be taken seriously.

Following the Washington's moves in Venezuela this weekend, her fellow leaders across Europe are doing just that.

"This whole situation has just underlined – yet again – the EU's core shortcoming {