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This very day, a informal Coalition of the Willing, predominantly consisting of EU officials, gathered in the French capital with delegates of President Trump, attempting to make more headway on a sustainable peace agreement for Ukraine.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a framework to end the conflict with Russia is "90% of the way there", not a single person in that gathering wished to jeopardise maintaining the Washington engaged.

Yet, there was an colossal elephant in the room in that impressive and luxurious summit, and the underlying mood was exceptionally strained.

Recall the actions of the recent days: the White House's controversial incursion in the South American nation and the American leader's declaration shortly thereafter, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the standpoint of defense".

This massive island is the world's largest island – it's six times the dimensions of Germany. It is situated in the Arctic but is an self-governing possession of Denmark's.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Copenhagen's leader, was seated across from two influential figures speaking on behalf of Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from her EU colleagues not to alienating the US over the Arctic question, for fear that that impacts US assistance for Ukraine.

Europe's leaders would have far preferred to compartmentalize the Arctic dispute and the debate on the war separate. But with the tensions mounting from the White House and Denmark, representatives of major EU countries at the gathering issued a declaration saying: "This territory is part of the alliance. Defense in the North must therefore be attained together, in cooperation with alliance members including the US".

"The decision is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and them alone, to determine on affairs concerning the kingdom and Greenland," the statement continued.

The statement was received positively by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers say it was slow to be put together and, because of the limited number of supporters to the declaration, it did not manage to demonstrate a European Union united in objective.

"Had there been a common declaration from all 27 EU partners, along with NATO ally the UK, in support of Copenhagen's sovereignty, that would have delivered a powerful message to Washington," stated a EU foreign policy analyst.

Consider the contradiction at play at the Paris summit. Multiple European government and other leaders, including the alliance and the EU, are seeking to involve the US administration in protecting the future sovereignty of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the aggressive land claims of an external actor (Moscow), just after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela by armed intervention, taking its president into custody, while also persistently openly undermining the sovereignty of another EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Denmark and the US are both signatories of the defensive pact NATO. They are, as stated by Copenhagen, exceptionally strong partners. Previously, they were considered so.

The issue is, should Trump fulfill his ambition to assert control over the island, would it constitute not just an fundamental challenge to the alliance but also a significant problem for the EU?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Marginalized

This is far from the first instance President Trump has spoken of his intention to control the Arctic island. He's proposed buying it in the past. He's also refused to rule out forcible annexation.

Recently that the landmass is "vitally important right now, Greenland is covered with foreign naval assets all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the standpoint of strategic interests and Denmark is unable to handle it".

Copenhagen refutes that assertion. It has lately committed to invest $4bn in Greenland defence encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a mutual pact, the US operates a military base already on the island – established at the start of the Cold War. It has reduced the total of staff there from about 10,000 during peak Cold War operations to approximately 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of overlooking the northern theater, until now.

Denmark has signaled it is open to discussion about a expanded US footprint on the territory and additional measures but confronted by the US President's warning of independent moves, Frederiksen said on Monday that the US leader's goal to control Greenland should be taken seriously.

In the wake of the Washington's moves in Venezuela this weekend, her fellow leaders in Europe are taking it seriously.

"The current crisis has just highlighted – once again – the EU's fundamental shortcoming {