The Difficult Issues for NATO and the European Union as Trump Threatens the Arctic Island

Earlier today, a informal Alliance of the Willing, largely consisting of European officials, gathered in the French capital with representatives of the Trump administration, attempting to make more headway on a sustainable peace deal for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a roadmap to end the hostilities with Russia is "nearly finalized", nobody in that room wanted to risk retaining the Washington engaged.

Yet, there was an colossal unspoken issue in that grand and luxurious Paris meeting, and the underlying mood was exceptionally uneasy.

Recall the developments of the recent days: the White House's divisive involvement in the South American nation and the American leader's insistence soon after, that "our national security requires Greenland from the viewpoint of national security".

This massive island is the world's biggest island – it's 600% the dimensions of Germany. It is situated in the far north but is an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was positioned opposite two key personalities speaking on behalf of Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from her EU counterparts not to antagonising the US over Greenland, lest that affects US assistance for Ukraine.

EU heads of state would have greatly desired to compartmentalize the Arctic dispute and the discussions on Ukraine separate. But with the diplomatic heat escalating from the White House and Denmark, representatives of major states at the talks released a communiqué asserting: "Greenland is part of NATO. Stability in the Arctic must therefore be secured collectively, in partnership with alliance members like the America".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to rule on issues related to the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the statement further stated.

The announcement was received positively by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics contend it was tardy to be drafted and, owing to the small group of signatories to the declaration, it failed to demonstrate a European Union aligned in intent.

"Were there a joint position from all 27 EU partners, plus alliance partner the UK, in support of Copenhagen's control, that would have conveyed a strong message to America," commented a European foreign policy specialist.

Reflect on the paradox at hand at the European gathering. Several EU government and other officials, from the alliance and the European Union, are attempting to involve the White House in protecting the future sovereignty of a continental state (Ukraine) against the aggressive geopolitical designs of an external actor (Moscow), just after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela by armed intervention, arresting its head of state, while also still openly threatening the autonomy of a different European nation (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both signatories of the transatlantic alliance the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, in the view of Copenhagen, extremely key friends. Or were.

The issue is, were Trump to act upon his ambition to assert control over the island, would it mark not just an fundamental challenge to the alliance but also a profound problem for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Marginalized

This is far from the first instance Trump has expressed his resolve to acquire the Arctic island. He's proposed acquiring it in the past. He's also left open the possibility of forcible annexation.

He insisted that the territory is "crucially located right now, Greenland is patrolled by foreign naval assets all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the standpoint of national security and Copenhagen is unable to do it".

Copenhagen contests that claim. It recently vowed to spend $4bn in Greenland defence for boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a bilateral agreement, the US maintains a defense installation currently on the island – set up at the onset of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the figure of personnel there from around 10,000 during the height of Cold War operations to around 200 and the US has often been faulted of overlooking polar defense, up to this point.

Denmark has indicated it is amenable to dialogue about a expanded US presence on the island and additional measures but in light of the US President's assertion of independent moves, Frederiksen said on Monday that Washington's desire to acquire Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

In the wake of the Washington's moves in Venezuela this past few days, her counterparts throughout Europe are taking it seriously.

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