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Just this morning, a self-styled Coalition of the Committed, largely composed of European officials, gathered in Paris with representatives of President Trump, aiming to achieve more progress on a durable peace agreement for Ukraine.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a plan to end the war with Russia is "nearly finalized", no-one in that meeting desired to endanger maintaining the Americans involved.

Yet, there was an immense glaring omission in that opulent and sparkling Paris meeting, and the fundamental atmosphere was exceptionally tense.

Recall the events of the past week: the US administration's divisive involvement in Venezuela and the President Trump's assertion following this, that "our national security requires Greenland from the perspective of defense".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's biggest island – it's six times the dimensions of Germany. It is located in the Arctic region but is an self-governing possession of Copenhagen.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was positioned facing two influential personalities acting for Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from her EU colleagues to refrain from alienating the US over the Greenland issue, in case that impacts US assistance for the Ukrainian cause.

EU heads of state would have greatly desired to compartmentalize the Arctic dispute and the negotiations on the war distinct. But with the diplomatic heat escalating from Washington and Denmark, representatives of big European nations at the talks released a statement stating: "The island is part of NATO. Stability in the Arctic must therefore be achieved together, in partnership with alliance members including the United States".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to determine on issues regarding Denmark and Greenland," the communiqué added.

The communique was received positively by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers argue it was slow to be drafted and, owing to the restricted set of supporters to the declaration, it failed to project a European Union in agreement in intent.

"If there had been a common statement from all 27 European Union countries, in addition to NATO ally the UK, in support of Copenhagen's sovereignty, that would have sent a powerful warning to Washington," stated a European defense expert.

Consider the irony at play at the Paris summit. Numerous EU national and other officials, such as NATO and the EU, are attempting to engage the US administration in protecting the future independence of a continental state (Ukraine) against the aggressive land claims of an outside force (Moscow), on the heels of the US has swooped into independent Venezuela with force, detaining its leader, while also still publicly threatening the territorial integrity of a further European nation (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Denmark and the US are both members of the transatlantic alliance NATO. They are, in the view of Danish officials, extremely key friends. At least, they were.

The issue is, should Trump fulfill his goal to bring Greenland under US control, would it represent not just an existential threat to NATO but also a profound challenge for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Marginalized

This is not the first time Trump has spoken of his determination to acquire the Arctic island. He's floated the idea of purchasing it in the past. He's also not excluded taking it by force.

He insisted that the landmass is "crucially located right now, Greenland is patrolled by Russian and Chinese naval assets all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the vantage point of defense and Denmark is unable to do it".

Denmark strongly denies that claim. It has lately vowed to invest $4bn in Arctic security encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a treaty, the US operates a defense installation already on Greenland – set up at the onset of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the total of troops there from approximately 10,000 during peak Cold War operations to around 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of taking its eye off polar defense, until now.

Denmark has suggested it is willing to talk about a expanded US role on the island and more but confronted by the US President's assertion of unilateral action, Frederiksen said on Monday that Washington's desire to take Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

Following the US administration's actions in Venezuela this past few days, her colleges in Europe are doing just that.

"This whole situation has just underlined – for the umpteenth time – the EU's basic shortcoming {