The Difficult Queries for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the EU as Trump Targets Greenland

This very day, a so-called Group of the Determined, mostly consisting of European heads of state, gathered in the French capital with representatives of the Trump administration, attempting to achieve further headway on a sustainable peace agreement for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a framework to halt the conflict with Russia is "90% of the way there", nobody in that room desired to risk retaining the Washington engaged.

Yet, there was an immense glaring omission in that opulent and glittering gathering, and the fundamental atmosphere was extremely strained.

Recall the events of the past week: the White House's divisive intervention in Venezuela and the American leader's declaration soon after, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the viewpoint of defense".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's greatest island – it's six times the size of Germany. It lies in the Arctic region but is an autonomous possession of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, Copenhagen's leader, was sitting opposite two key personalities acting for Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from European colleagues not to provoking the US over Greenland, for fear that that impacts US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

EU heads of state would have greatly desired to compartmentalize Greenland and the debate on Ukraine separate. But with the political temperature escalating from Washington and Denmark, representatives of big EU countries at the gathering put out a statement stating: "This territory is part of the alliance. Defense in the North must therefore be secured collectively, in cooperation with alliance members including the US".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to rule on matters concerning the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the declaration added.

The communique was received positively by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers argue it was tardy to be drafted and, because of the small set of endorsers to the statement, it was unable to show a Europe in agreement in purpose.

"Had there been a joint position from all 27 European Union countries, along with NATO ally the UK, in backing of Danish authority, that would have sent a resounding signal to America," noted a EU foreign policy specialist.

Consider the paradox at play at the Paris summit. Several EU government and other officials, from NATO and the EU, are seeking to secure the cooperation of the US administration in safeguarding the future sovereignty of a EU nation (the Eastern European nation) against the hostile land claims of an outside force (Moscow), just after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela militarily, arresting its head of state, while also continuing to publicly undermining the territorial integrity of a further European nation (Denmark).

To compound the situation – Denmark and the US are both signatories of the defensive pact NATO. They are, in the view of Copenhagen, profoundly strong partners. Or were.

The question is, were Trump to make good on his ambition to bring Greenland under US control, would it constitute not just an severe risk to NATO but also a major challenge for the EU?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is not the first time President Trump has voiced his determination to dominate Greenland. He's floated the idea of acquiring it in the past. He's also not excluded forcible annexation.

He insisted that the landmass is "so strategic right now, it is patrolled by Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the standpoint of national security and Denmark is unable to do it".

Denmark refutes that claim. It recently pledged to invest $4bn in the island's defense encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a mutual pact, the US operates a defense installation already on Greenland – established at the onset of the East-West standoff. It has cut the figure of staff there from around 10,000 during peak that era to about 200 and the US has long been accused of overlooking the northern theater, up to this point.

Copenhagen has signaled it is willing to talk about a expanded US presence on the territory and additional measures but confronted by the US President's assertion of unilateral action, the Danish PM 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 weekend, her colleges throughout Europe are heeding that warning.

"The current crisis has just highlighted – once again – the EU's core weakness {