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Just this morning, a informal Coalition of the Committed, largely made up of EU heads of state, convened in the French capital with envoys of the Trump administration, hoping to achieve additional progress on a sustainable settlement for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a framework to conclude the war with Russia is "nearly finalized", not a single person in that room wanted to endanger keeping the Washington involved.

Yet, there was an colossal elephant in the room in that grand and luxurious Paris meeting, and the fundamental mood was exceptionally strained.

Bear in mind the developments of the past week: the US administration's contentious involvement in Venezuela and the President Trump's declaration following this, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the perspective of national security".

Greenland is the world's biggest island – it's sixfold the size of Germany. It lies in the Arctic but is an semi-independent possession of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was seated opposite two key personalities acting for Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from European counterparts to refrain from antagonising the US over the Arctic question, lest that affects US assistance for the Ukrainian cause.

EU heads of state would have greatly desired to keep the Arctic dispute and the debate on Ukraine separate. But with the diplomatic heat mounting from the White House and Denmark, representatives of leading states at the gathering put out a statement saying: "Greenland is part of NATO. Stability in the Arctic must therefore be attained together, in conjunction with treaty partners like the US".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and Greenland, and them alone, to determine on matters regarding Denmark and Greenland," the statement continued.

The statement was received positively by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers say it was tardy to be formulated and, due to the restricted set of signatories to the statement, it did not manage to show a Europe aligned in purpose.

"Were there a joint declaration from all 27 EU partners, along with NATO ally the UK, in backing of Danish authority, that would have conveyed a powerful signal to the US," noted a European defense expert.

Ponder the contradiction at hand at the France meeting. Numerous EU national and other officials, such as NATO and the European Union, are attempting to engage the White House in guaranteeing the future independence of a continental state (Ukraine) against the aggressive geopolitical designs of an foreign power (Moscow), just after the US has swooped into sovereign Venezuela by armed intervention, detaining its leader, while also continuing to actively threatening the autonomy of another EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Denmark and the US are both signatories of the defensive pact the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, as stated by Danish officials, extremely close allies. Or were.

The question is, were Trump to act upon his goal to acquire Greenland, would it constitute not just an severe risk to NATO but also a significant crisis for the EU?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Overlooked

This is far from the first instance Trump has voiced his determination to dominate the Arctic island. He's suggested 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 Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of strategic interests and Denmark is incapable to handle it".

Denmark strongly denies that claim. It not long ago vowed to invest $4bn in Greenland defence encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a bilateral agreement, the US operates a military base presently on Greenland – established at the onset of the Cold War. It has scaled down the figure of troops there from approximately 10,000 during peak the confrontation to approximately 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of neglecting the northern theater, until now.

Denmark has suggested it is willing to talk about a bigger US role on the territory and additional measures but confronted by the US President's warning of independent moves, Frederiksen said on Monday that the US leader's goal to control Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

After the Washington's moves in Venezuela this weekend, her colleges in Europe are heeding that warning.

"The current crisis has just highlighted – yet again – Europe's core vulnerability {