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This very day, a self-styled Coalition of the Determined, predominantly made up of European heads of state, convened in the French capital with representatives of President Trump, hoping to secure more advances on a lasting settlement for Ukraine.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a framework to end the hostilities with Russia is "90% of the way there", no-one in that meeting wished to risk keeping the Washington involved.

Yet, there was an colossal elephant in the room in that opulent and luxurious Paris meeting, and the fundamental atmosphere was profoundly uneasy.

Consider the actions of the last few days: the Trump administration's controversial incursion in the South American nation and the President Trump's assertion shortly thereafter, that "we need Greenland from the viewpoint of defense".

Greenland is the world's biggest island – it's six times the size of Germany. It is located in the Arctic region but is an semi-independent possession of Copenhagen.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, Copenhagen's leader, was seated facing two powerful figures representing Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from her EU allies to avoid provoking the US over the Greenland issue, for fear that that undermines US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

The continent's officials would have much rather to separate the Arctic dispute and the negotiations on Ukraine separate. But with the diplomatic heat escalating from Washington and Copenhagen, leaders of leading EU countries at the Paris meeting released a declaration asserting: "Greenland is part of NATO. Defense in the North must therefore be achieved together, in partnership with treaty partners such as the United States".

"It is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and no one else, to decide on issues concerning Denmark and Greenland," the declaration added.

The statement was welcomed by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts argue it was delayed to be put together and, owing to the limited set of signatories to the statement, it did not manage to demonstrate a European Union united in purpose.

"Were there a unified position from all 27 EU partners, along with alliance partner the UK, in defense of Copenhagen's authority, that would have sent a powerful message to Washington," stated a EU foreign policy analyst.

Ponder the irony at play at the Paris summit. Multiple EU government and other officials, including the alliance and the EU, are attempting to involve the US administration in guaranteeing the future independence of a European country (Ukraine) against the expansionist land claims of an external actor (Moscow), just after the US has intervened in independent Venezuela with force, taking its president into custody, while also still actively challenging the territorial integrity of a different European nation (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To compound the situation – Denmark and the US are both members of the transatlantic alliance the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, in the view of Copenhagen, profoundly key friends. Or were.

The question is, should Trump fulfill his ambition to bring Greenland under US control, would it mark not just an severe risk to the alliance but also a significant challenge for the EU?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Trampled Underfoot

This is far from the first instance President Trump has voiced his resolve to dominate Greenland. He's floated the idea of acquiring it in the past. He's also not excluded taking it by force.

On Sunday that the island is "vitally important right now, Greenland is frequented by Russian and Chinese naval assets all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security and Denmark is incapable to handle it".

Denmark contests that claim. It has lately committed to invest $4bn in Arctic security including boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a mutual pact, the US maintains a military base currently on the island – founded at the onset of the East-West standoff. It has cut the total of troops there from around 10,000 during peak Cold War operations to approximately 200 and the US has often been faulted of neglecting Arctic Security, until now.

Copenhagen has signaled it is open to discussion about a bigger US role on the territory and more but in light of the US President's threat of unilateral action, the Danish PM said on Monday that the US leader's goal to take Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

Following the Washington's moves in Venezuela this weekend, her fellow leaders throughout Europe are doing just that.

"These developments has just highlighted – once again – the EU's basic shortcoming {