🔗 Share this article

Just this morning, a self-styled Coalition of the Determined, predominantly composed of European officials, met in the French capital with delegates of the Trump administration, hoping to achieve more progress on a sustainable settlement for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a framework to halt the war with Russia is "nearly finalized", not a single person in that meeting desired to endanger retaining the US onboard.

Yet, there was an colossal unspoken issue in that impressive and glittering summit, and the prevailing atmosphere was extremely tense.

Bear in mind the developments of the past week: the White House's divisive incursion in Venezuela and the President Trump's declaration following this, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the perspective of strategic interests".

Greenland is the world's greatest island – it's six times the size of Germany. It is located in the Arctic region but is an semi-independent territory of Denmark's.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was positioned facing two influential figures representing Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from her EU allies not to alienating the US over the Greenland issue, lest that affects US support for Ukraine.

The continent's officials would have much rather to separate Greenland and the discussions on Ukraine separate. But with the diplomatic heat escalating from the White House and Copenhagen, leaders of leading European nations at the gathering put out a declaration stating: "This territory is part of NATO. Defense in the Arctic must therefore be secured jointly, in cooperation with alliance members such as the US".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them alone, to determine on issues concerning the kingdom and Greenland," the statement added.

The announcement was welcomed by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers contend it was delayed to be drafted and, because of the small number of supporters to the declaration, it failed to demonstrate a European Union united in purpose.

"Were there a unified statement from all 27 EU partners, in addition to alliance partner the UK, in support of Copenhagen's control, that would have conveyed a strong signal to America," commented a European foreign policy expert.

Ponder the irony at hand at the European gathering. Several EU government and other leaders, including NATO and the European Union, are attempting to involve the White House in protecting the future independence of a European country (Ukraine) against the aggressive geopolitical designs of an foreign power (Russia), immediately after the US has swooped into independent Venezuela militarily, detaining its leader, while also still actively undermining the autonomy of a further continental ally (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Copenhagen and the US are both signatories of the transatlantic alliance NATO. They are, according to Copenhagen, profoundly key friends. Or were.

The question is, should Trump act upon his goal to acquire Greenland, would it mark not just an severe risk to the alliance but also a profound crisis for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is not the first time Trump has expressed his intention to control Greenland. He's floated the idea of purchasing it in the past. He's also refused to rule out forcible annexation.

On Sunday that the landmass is "so strategic right now, Greenland is patrolled by Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the standpoint of strategic interests and Denmark is not going to be able to do it".

Copenhagen strongly denies that assertion. It recently pledged to spend $4bn in Arctic security for boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a mutual pact, the US maintains a military base currently on the island – set up at the onset of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the total of troops there from about 10,000 during peak the confrontation to around 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of taking its eye off the northern theater, until now.

Copenhagen has signaled it is amenable to dialogue about a expanded US role on the island and more but faced with the US President's threat of unilateral action, Frederiksen said on Monday that Washington's desire to acquire Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

Following the American intervention in Venezuela this weekend, her counterparts throughout Europe are taking it seriously.

"This whole situation has just emphasized – once again – Europe's basic weakness {