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Just this morning, a self-styled Group of the Willing, largely made up of European heads of state, gathered in Paris with representatives of President Trump, attempting to secure additional advances on a durable peace deal for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a framework to conclude the hostilities with Russia is "nearly finalized", nobody in that room desired to risk keeping the US involved.

Yet, there was an immense elephant in the room in that opulent and luxurious Paris meeting, and the underlying atmosphere was exceptionally strained.

Consider the actions of the past week: the Trump administration's divisive intervention in the South American nation and the President Trump's insistence following this, that "our national security requires Greenland from the standpoint of national security".

Greenland is the world's greatest island – it's 600% the size of Germany. It lies in the Arctic but is an self-governing possession of Denmark's.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was sitting facing two key figures representing Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from her EU colleagues to avoid provoking the US over the Greenland issue, in case that impacts US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

The continent's officials would have far preferred to compartmentalize Greenland and the negotiations on Ukraine distinct. But with the political temperature rising from the White House and Denmark, representatives of major European nations at the gathering issued a declaration asserting: "The island is part of NATO. Security in the North must therefore be achieved collectively, in cooperation with treaty partners including the America".

"It is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them alone, to rule on issues concerning the kingdom and Greenland," the communiqué further stated.

The statement was welcomed by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers contend it was delayed to be formulated and, because of the limited group of signatories to the statement, it failed to show a European Union in agreement in intent.

"If there had been a unified declaration from all 27 EU partners, plus alliance partner the UK, in backing of Danish control, that would have sent a powerful signal to America," stated a EU foreign policy analyst.

Ponder the irony at hand at the France meeting. Multiple EU government and other leaders, including the alliance and the European Union, are seeking to engage the Trump administration in protecting the future sovereignty of a continental state (Ukraine) against the expansionist land claims of an outside force (Moscow), immediately after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela with force, detaining its leader, while also still actively challenging the territorial integrity of another European nation (Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Denmark and the US are both members of the defensive pact the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, according to Copenhagen, profoundly key friends. At least, they were.

The issue is, were Trump to act upon his desire to bring Greenland under US control, would it mark not just an severe risk to NATO but also a significant challenge for the EU?

Europe Risks Being Marginalized

This is not an isolated incident President Trump has voiced his determination to dominate Greenland. He's proposed buying it in the past. He's also refused to rule out forcible annexation.

Recently that the island is "vitally important right now, Greenland is patrolled by Russian and Chinese vessels all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the standpoint of strategic interests and Denmark is unable to handle it".

Copenhagen refutes that last statement. It recently vowed to invest $4bn in Arctic security encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

Under a treaty, the US maintains a military base already on the island – founded at the start of the East-West standoff. It has cut the total of staff there from about 10,000 during peak the confrontation to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of overlooking Arctic Security, up to this point.

Denmark has signaled it is willing to talk about a expanded US presence on the island and further cooperation but confronted by the US President's assertion of unilateral action, the Danish PM said on Monday that Washington's desire to control Greenland should be taken seriously.

Following the American intervention in Venezuela this weekend, her counterparts in Europe are taking it seriously.

"This whole situation has just emphasized – yet again – the EU's basic shortcoming {