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Earlier today, a self-styled Coalition of the Determined, predominantly consisting of European heads of state, met in Paris with envoys of the Trump administration, aiming to make additional headway on a durable peace deal for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a plan to halt the conflict with Russia is "90% of the way there", not a single person in that gathering desired to endanger keeping the Washington onboard.

Yet, there was an immense elephant in the room in that opulent and sparkling Paris meeting, and the prevailing tension was exceptionally tense.

Bear in mind the actions of the last few days: the US administration's divisive involvement in Venezuela and the US president's declaration following this, that "we need Greenland from the perspective of strategic interests".

Greenland is the world's largest island – it's sixfold the size of Germany. It is located in the far north but is an semi-independent region of the Kingdom of Denmark.

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

She was under pressure from her EU allies to avoid antagonising the US over the Greenland issue, lest that impacts US support for Ukraine.

The continent's officials would have greatly desired to separate the Arctic dispute and the debate on Ukraine separate. But with the political temperature mounting from Washington and Denmark, leaders of major EU countries at the gathering put out a declaration stating: "The island is part of NATO. Defense in the North must therefore be attained together, in cooperation with treaty partners including the US".

"The decision is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them alone, to decide on issues regarding the kingdom and Greenland," the communiqué continued.

The communique was received positively by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts argue it was slow to be put together and, because of the small number of endorsers to the declaration, it failed to demonstrate a European Union in agreement in purpose.

"Were there a joint statement from all 27 European Union countries, in addition to NATO ally the UK, in support of Danish authority, that would have conveyed a resounding signal to Washington," noted a European foreign policy analyst.

Ponder the contradiction at play at the France meeting. Several EU government and other leaders, such as NATO and the European Union, are trying to involve the White House in protecting the future sovereignty of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the expansionist territorial ambitions of an outside force (Moscow), just after the US has swooped into independent Venezuela militarily, detaining its leader, while also continuing to openly threatening the sovereignty of a further European nation (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Copenhagen and the US are both participants of the defensive pact the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, according to Danish officials, profoundly close allies. Or were.

The question is, were Trump to act upon his goal to assert control over the island, would it mark not just an existential threat to the alliance but also a profound problem for the EU?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is not an isolated incident President Trump has voiced his intention to control the Arctic island. He's proposed acquiring it in the past. He's also left open the possibility of taking it by force.

He insisted that the landmass is "so strategic right now, it is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the perspective of strategic interests and Denmark is unable to handle it".

Denmark contests that assertion. It not long ago vowed to allocate $4bn in Arctic security encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a treaty, the US operates a strategic outpost currently on the island – founded at the start of the East-West standoff. It has cut the number of personnel there from about 10,000 during the height of Cold War operations to around 200 and the US has often been faulted of taking its eye off the northern theater, recently.

Copenhagen has suggested it is amenable to dialogue about a larger US footprint on the territory and further cooperation but faced with the US President's threat of independent moves, Frederiksen said on Monday that Trump's ambition to acquire Greenland should be treated with gravity.

After the American intervention in Venezuela this weekend, her fellow leaders throughout Europe are doing just that.

"This whole situation has just highlighted – once again – Europe's fundamental shortcoming {