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This very day, a so-called Coalition of the Committed, mostly composed of EU officials, convened in the French capital with delegates of the Trump administration, hoping to make more progress on a durable settlement for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a plan to halt the hostilities with Russia is "90% of the way there", not a single person in that room wanted to endanger retaining the Americans engaged.

Yet, there was an enormous unspoken issue in that impressive and glittering gathering, and the underlying atmosphere was extremely strained.

Bear in mind the developments of the last few days: the Trump administration's contentious incursion in the South American nation and the President Trump's insistence soon after, that "our national security requires Greenland from the viewpoint of strategic interests".

This massive island is the world's biggest island – it's sixfold the size of Germany. It is located in the Arctic region but is an self-governing territory of Denmark's.

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

She was under pressure from her EU colleagues to avoid antagonising the US over the Greenland issue, in case that affects US support for the Ukrainian cause.

Europe's leaders would have greatly desired to compartmentalize the Arctic dispute and the debate on Ukraine apart. But with the tensions escalating from the White House and Denmark, representatives of major states at the talks released a communiqué asserting: "Greenland is part of NATO. Defense in the North must therefore be secured collectively, in partnership with NATO allies such as the United States".

"The decision is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to determine on matters concerning the kingdom and Greenland," the statement added.

The announcement was welcomed by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics argue it was tardy to be put together and, due to the limited group of supporters to the statement, it failed to project a European Union in agreement in objective.

"Had there been a common statement from all 27 EU partners, plus alliance partner the UK, in support of Copenhagen's control, that would have delivered a resounding message to America," noted a European foreign policy analyst.

Consider the paradox at hand at the Paris summit. Multiple European national and other leaders, including the alliance and the EU, are attempting to secure the cooperation of the White House in safeguarding the future sovereignty of a EU nation (the Eastern European nation) against the expansionist geopolitical designs of an outside force (Russia), on the heels of the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela militarily, arresting its head of state, while also still openly undermining the autonomy of another continental ally (Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Copenhagen and the US are both signatories of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, as stated by Danish officials, exceptionally close allies. Or were.

The issue is, if Trump were to make good on his ambition to acquire Greenland, would it represent not just an existential threat to NATO but also a significant crisis for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Marginalized

This is not an isolated incident President Trump has voiced his determination to control Greenland. He's suggested buying it in the past. He's also not excluded taking it by force.

He insisted that the territory is "vitally important right now, it is patrolled by Russian and Chinese naval assets all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security and Denmark is unable to handle it".

Copenhagen strongly denies that claim. It has lately committed to spend $4bn in the island's defense for boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a bilateral agreement, the US has a military base already on the island – set up at the beginning of the East-West standoff. It has reduced the figure of staff there from approximately 10,000 during the height of the confrontation to about 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of taking its eye off Arctic Security, recently.

Copenhagen has suggested it is willing to talk about a bigger US role on the territory and further cooperation but faced with the US President's assertion of going it alone, Frederiksen said on Monday that Washington's desire to acquire Greenland should be treated with gravity.

Following the Washington's moves in Venezuela this past few days, her fellow leaders throughout Europe are heeding that warning.

"The current crisis has just underlined – once again – the EU's core weakness {