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Just this morning, a so-called Alliance of the Determined, mostly composed of EU heads of state, gathered in Paris with envoys of the Trump administration, aiming to achieve additional progress on a lasting peace deal for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a roadmap to end the conflict with Russia is "largely complete", nobody in that room wished to jeopardise keeping the Washington engaged.

Yet, there was an enormous elephant in the room in that grand and sparkling summit, and the prevailing mood was profoundly uneasy.

Consider the actions of the recent days: the White House's controversial involvement in the South American nation and the US president's assertion shortly thereafter, that "our national security requires Greenland from the perspective of strategic interests".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's biggest island – it's sixfold the size of Germany. It is located in the Arctic region but is an autonomous territory of Copenhagen.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was sitting opposite two powerful personalities acting for Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from European colleagues to refrain from alienating the US over the Arctic question, lest that undermines US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

The continent's officials would have greatly desired to separate Greenland and the debate on the war separate. But with the tensions rising from Washington and Denmark, leaders of big European nations at the gathering put out a statement asserting: "The island is part of NATO. Security in the Arctic must therefore be attained jointly, in conjunction with NATO allies such as the America".

"The decision is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them alone, to determine on matters concerning Denmark and its autonomous territory," the statement further stated.

The communique was received positively by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts contend it was slow to be formulated and, because of the small set of supporters to the declaration, it failed to show a Europe in agreement in objective.

"Were there a common statement from all 27 European Union countries, in addition to NATO ally the UK, in defense of Danish authority, that would have conveyed a strong message to Washington," stated a European defense expert.

Consider the contradiction at hand at the France meeting. Numerous EU national and other leaders, from the alliance and the European Union, are seeking to secure the cooperation of the White House in safeguarding the future autonomy of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the hostile territorial ambitions of an outside force (Moscow), immediately after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela by armed intervention, arresting its head of state, while also persistently actively threatening the sovereignty of a further continental ally (Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Copenhagen and the US are both signatories of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, in the view of Copenhagen, extremely key friends. Previously, they were considered so.

The dilemma is, if Trump were to make good on his goal to bring Greenland under US control, would it mark not just an severe risk to NATO but also a major crisis for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Trampled Underfoot

This is far from the first instance Trump has spoken of his determination to acquire Greenland. He's proposed purchasing it in the past. He's also not excluded forcible annexation.

He insisted that the landmass is "vitally important right now, it is covered with foreign naval assets all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the vantage point of strategic interests and Denmark is unable to do it".

Denmark refutes that last statement. It has lately committed to allocate $4bn in the island's defense including boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a treaty, the US has a defense installation currently on the island – set up at the beginning of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the total of personnel there from about 10,000 during the height of that era to around 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of neglecting the northern theater, recently.

Denmark has signaled it is willing to talk about a bigger US role on the island and additional measures but confronted by the US President's threat of independent moves, Frederiksen said on Monday that Washington's desire to control Greenland should be treated with gravity.

After the US administration's actions in Venezuela this past few days, her counterparts throughout Europe are heeding that warning.

"This whole situation has just highlighted – once again – Europe's fundamental shortcoming {