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Earlier today, a so-called Coalition of the Committed, predominantly composed of European heads of state, convened in the French capital with delegates of US President Donald Trump, hoping to make further advances on a durable peace agreement for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a roadmap to halt the war with Russia is "largely complete", not a single person in that room wished to endanger keeping the Washington engaged.

Yet, there was an immense unspoken issue in that grand and sparkling summit, and the underlying mood was exceptionally strained.

Consider the events of the last few days: the White House's divisive intervention in Venezuela and the President Trump's insistence soon after, that "our national security requires Greenland from the standpoint of defense".

Greenland is the world's largest island – it's 600% the dimensions of Germany. It is situated in the far north but is an semi-independent region of Copenhagen.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was sitting facing two powerful individuals representing Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from her EU colleagues to avoid antagonising the US over Greenland, lest that affects US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

The continent's officials would have greatly desired to separate the Arctic dispute and the negotiations on the war separate. But with the political temperature rising from the White House and Denmark, leaders of leading EU countries at the gathering released a communiqué stating: "Greenland is part of NATO. Security in the Arctic must therefore be attained jointly, in partnership with treaty partners including the United States".

"Sovereignty is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and them alone, to decide on matters regarding the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the declaration added.

The statement was received positively by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers contend it was slow to be put together and, because of the limited set of endorsers to the declaration, it was unable to project a Europe aligned in objective.

"Had there been a unified declaration from all 27 member states, along with NATO ally the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's authority, that would have conveyed a strong signal to America," commented a European foreign policy expert.

Consider the irony at play at the France meeting. Several EU government and other leaders, from the alliance and the EU, are seeking to secure the cooperation of the US administration in protecting the future sovereignty of a European country (the Eastern European nation) against the expansionist geopolitical designs of an external actor (Moscow), just after the US has entered independent Venezuela by armed intervention, taking its president into custody, while also still openly challenging the territorial integrity of a different European nation (Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both participants of the defensive pact NATO. They are, as stated by Danish officials, extremely close allies. Or were.

The dilemma is, should Trump fulfill his ambition to assert control over the island, would it mark not just an fundamental challenge to NATO but also a profound crisis for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is not an isolated incident President Trump has spoken of his intention to dominate Greenland. He's suggested purchasing it in the past. He's also left open the possibility of forcible annexation.

Recently that the landmass is "crucially located right now, Greenland is frequented by foreign ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the perspective of defense and Denmark is unable to handle it".

Denmark refutes that last statement. It has lately pledged to allocate $4bn in Greenland defence including boats, drones and aircraft.

Under a bilateral agreement, the US operates a military base presently on Greenland – set up at the start of the Cold War. 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 often been faulted of neglecting polar defense, recently.

Denmark has suggested it is open to discussion about a expanded US presence on the island and additional measures but in light of the US President's threat of independent moves, the Danish PM said on Monday that the US leader's goal to acquire Greenland should be treated with gravity.

Following 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 core vulnerability {