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Earlier today, a so-called Coalition of the Committed, largely composed of EU leaders, met in Paris with envoys of President Trump, aiming to secure more progress on a lasting peace deal for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a roadmap to halt the conflict with Russia is "largely complete", nobody in that gathering wanted to jeopardise retaining the US involved.

Yet, there was an enormous unspoken issue in that grand and sparkling Paris meeting, and the underlying mood was extremely uneasy.

Bear in mind the developments of the past week: the White House's controversial involvement in Venezuela and the President Trump's declaration soon after, that "our national security requires Greenland from the viewpoint of strategic interests".

Greenland is the world's largest island – it's sixfold the area of Germany. It is situated in the Arctic but is an semi-independent region of Copenhagen.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Copenhagen's leader, was seated facing two influential personalities representing Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from her EU colleagues not to provoking the US over the Greenland issue, for fear that that undermines US support for Ukraine.

Europe's leaders would have much rather to keep Greenland and the debate on Ukraine apart. But with the political temperature rising from the White House and Copenhagen, representatives of major EU countries at the talks issued a declaration saying: "Greenland is part of NATO. Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with alliance members including the America".

"The decision is for Denmark and Greenland, and them alone, to decide on issues concerning the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the declaration added.

The statement was greeted by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics argue it was tardy to be formulated and, owing to the restricted set of supporters to the declaration, it was unable to show a European Union united in intent.

"Were there a common declaration from all 27 EU partners, plus NATO ally the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's authority, that would have conveyed a strong signal to the US," commented a European foreign policy analyst.

Ponder the paradox at work at the France meeting. Multiple European national and other officials, including NATO and the EU, are attempting to secure the cooperation of the White House in protecting the future autonomy of a continental state (the Eastern European nation) against the aggressive land claims of an external actor (Russia), immediately after the US has entered independent Venezuela with force, detaining its leader, while also persistently actively threatening the territorial integrity of a different EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both members of the transatlantic alliance NATO. They are, as stated by Danish officials, exceptionally strong partners. Previously, they were considered so.

The dilemma is, if Trump were to make good on his ambition to assert control over the island, would it represent not just an fundamental challenge to NATO but also a profound crisis for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Marginalized

This is far from the first instance President Trump has spoken of his resolve to acquire the Arctic island. He's floated the idea of acquiring it in the past. He's also refused to rule out taking it by force.

Recently that the island is "so strategic right now, Greenland is patrolled by foreign ships all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the standpoint of national security and Copenhagen is unable to provide security".

Copenhagen refutes that assertion. It recently pledged to spend $4bn in the island's defense for boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a treaty, the US maintains a strategic outpost currently on Greenland – founded at the start of the Cold War. It has scaled down the total of staff there from around 10,000 during the height of the confrontation to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of overlooking Arctic Security, up to this point.

Copenhagen has suggested it is willing to talk about a larger US footprint on the island and further cooperation but in light of the US President's warning of unilateral action, the Danish PM said on Monday that Trump's ambition to take Greenland should be taken seriously.

After the US administration's actions in Venezuela this weekend, her colleges throughout Europe are heeding that warning.

"The current crisis has just underlined – once again – Europe's basic weakness {