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This very day, a informal Coalition of the Determined, largely composed of European officials, met in the French capital with envoys of the Trump administration, aiming to make more progress on a lasting peace agreement for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a plan to conclude the war with Russia is "nearly finalized", not a single person in that gathering wished to risk keeping the Washington involved.

Yet, there was an colossal glaring omission in that opulent and luxurious Paris meeting, and the fundamental mood was profoundly strained.

Bear in mind the events of the recent days: the White House's controversial involvement in Venezuela and the US president's assertion following this, that "we need Greenland from the viewpoint of strategic interests".

Greenland is the world's greatest island – it's 600% the area of Germany. It is situated in the Arctic region but is an autonomous territory of Denmark's.

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

She was subject to urging from European counterparts not to alienating the US over the Greenland issue, in case that undermines US support for the Ukrainian cause.

The continent's officials would have greatly desired to keep the Arctic dispute and the debate on Ukraine apart. But with the diplomatic heat rising from Washington and Denmark, leaders of major European nations at the Paris meeting put out a declaration saying: "The island is part of NATO. Security in the North must therefore be achieved jointly, in cooperation with NATO allies including the United States".

"It is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and them only, to rule on issues regarding Denmark and its autonomous territory," the statement continued.

The communique was received positively by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts contend it was delayed to be formulated and, due to the small group of signatories to the statement, it failed to project a Europe in agreement in intent.

"Had there been a joint statement from all 27 European Union countries, along with NATO ally the UK, in defense of Copenhagen's sovereignty, that would have delivered a resounding warning to the US," stated a EU foreign policy analyst.

Consider the contradiction at work at the Paris summit. Several EU national and other officials, including NATO and the EU, are trying to secure the cooperation of the US administration in safeguarding the future sovereignty of a European country (the Eastern European nation) against the hostile territorial ambitions of an outside force (Moscow), on the heels of the US has swooped into sovereign Venezuela militarily, arresting its head of state, while also continuing to actively undermining the sovereignty of another European nation (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Denmark and the US are both members of the transatlantic alliance NATO. They are, in the view of Danish officials, profoundly key friends. At least, they were.

The dilemma is, if Trump were to fulfill his ambition to assert control over the island, would it represent not just an existential threat to the alliance but also a significant crisis for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is not the first time Trump has spoken of his determination to acquire Greenland. He's proposed buying it in the past. He's also refused to rule out forcible annexation.

On Sunday that the island is "crucially located right now, it is frequented by foreign ships all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the vantage point of defense and Copenhagen is incapable to do it".

Copenhagen refutes that last statement. It recently committed to allocate $4bn in Arctic security encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a mutual pact, the US has a defense installation presently on the island – set up at the onset of the East-West standoff. It has reduced the total of staff there from around 10,000 during peak that era to approximately 200 and the US has long been accused of overlooking polar defense, recently.

Denmark has indicated it is amenable to dialogue about a expanded US footprint on the territory and additional measures but faced with the US President's warning of unilateral action, Frederiksen said on Monday that Trump's ambition to control Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

In the wake of the American intervention in Venezuela this past few days, her fellow leaders throughout Europe are taking it seriously.

"The current crisis has just underlined – yet again – the EU's fundamental vulnerability {