Following US intervention in Venezuela and threats against Greenland, the European Commission has issued contradictory statements. The EU will continue to uphold the principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders, Paula Pinho, Chief Spokesperson of the Commission, said on Monday with reference to the situation in Greenland. “These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them,” she said.
However, the same does not apply to Venezuela. Here, the Commission is sticking closely to the vaguely worded declaration issued by 26 member states on Sunday. It does not express any direct criticism of the United States for its intervention. “The events over the weekend provide the opportunity for a democratic transition led by the Venezuelan people,” she added, contradicting Donald Trump’s statements that the US would rule the country.
The Commission wants to avoid comparisons between Venezuela and Greenland. “We would recall that Greenland is an ally to the U.S. and is also covered by the NATO alliance, and that is a big, big difference,” said Ms. Pinho. However, this argument becomes weaker if the US, as the EU’s most important NATO ally, takes a different view. “We need Greenland,” Trump said in an interview at the weekend.
EU politicians have demonstrated their solidarity with Denmark and Greenland. Greenland is just as much a part of the Kingdom of Denmark as are the Faroe Islands, said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul during a visit to Lithuania on Monday. “And since Denmark is a member of NATO, the alliance will also have to defend Greenland.”
However, the direct response to Donald Trump’s threats to occupy Greenland – with force, if necessary – remains inconsistent. “If there is any additional need to strengthen defense efforts with regard to Greenland, we will have to discuss this with each other within the alliance,” said Wadephul. The question as to how NATO should defend Greenland from its most important NATO ally remains unanswered. The EU Commission also reiterated its “full solidarity” with Denmark. However, on Monday it was unable to cite any specific ways in which it would prevent a takeover of Greenland.
Most of all, the EU needs Trump for the Ukraine peace negotiations. On Tuesday, numerous heads of state and government will meet in Paris at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron for a meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The talks are likely to revolve around two main points: What each country can contribute and whether the US still on board and willing to support Ukraine.
The timing for harsh criticism of the US is extremely unfavorable. The fact that special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to be physically present at the meeting is being viewed by Berlin as a win. That is why no one is likely to have an interest in alienating the Americans before talks even begin.
At the same time, expectations for the Paris talks are limited. Jacob Ross from the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) believes that the coalition of the willing’s meeting is “largely a Macron production.” The Élysée Palace often dictates the narrative that the French are the ones “who set the tone in terms of quality and strategy,” says Ross. “Based on the experience of previous summits, I think the chances of a concrete plan emerging from this summit are slim.” At the meeting of the coalition of the willing in September, Merz and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius were already uneasy about open communication by the French on security guarantees for Ukraine.