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This very day, a self-styled Alliance of the Willing, predominantly composed of EU leaders, convened in the French capital with representatives of President Trump, attempting to make additional progress on a durable settlement for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a framework to end the conflict with Russia is "largely complete", no-one in that gathering desired to risk maintaining the Americans engaged.

Yet, there was an immense unspoken issue in that opulent and luxurious Paris meeting, and the prevailing mood was profoundly strained.

Bear in mind the events of the recent days: the US administration's divisive incursion in the South American nation and the American leader's declaration soon after, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the viewpoint of defense".

Greenland is the world's largest island – it's six times the size of Germany. It is located in the Arctic but is an self-governing territory of Copenhagen.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was positioned facing two key personalities acting for Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from her EU allies not to provoking the US over the Arctic question, for fear that that undermines US assistance for the Ukrainian cause.

The continent's officials would have greatly desired to separate Greenland and the negotiations on the war separate. But with the diplomatic heat escalating from the White House and Denmark, leaders of big states at the gathering issued a statement stating: "Greenland is part of NATO. Defense in the North must therefore be achieved jointly, in cooperation with NATO allies such as the America".

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

The announcement was greeted by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts contend it was delayed to be drafted and, owing to the small group of supporters to the declaration, it failed to demonstrate a Europe aligned in purpose.

"Were there a common position from all 27 member states, along with alliance partner the UK, in support of Danish sovereignty, that would have delivered a strong warning to America," commented a European foreign policy expert.

Ponder the contradiction at work at the France meeting. Multiple EU national and other leaders, such as NATO and the European Union, are seeking to engage the US administration in protecting the future autonomy of a European country (Ukraine) against the hostile geopolitical designs of an external actor (Moscow), just after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela militarily, taking its president into custody, while also continuing to openly challenging the sovereignty of a further European nation (Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Denmark and the US are both members of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, according to Copenhagen, extremely close allies. At least, they were.

The dilemma is, should Trump fulfill his ambition to acquire Greenland, would it mark not just an severe risk to NATO but also a profound crisis for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Overlooked

This is not the first time President Trump has spoken of his resolve to control Greenland. He's proposed acquiring it in the past. He's also not excluded a military seizure.

On Sunday that the landmass is "so strategic right now, Greenland is patrolled by Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the standpoint of defense and Copenhagen is not going to be able to handle it".

Copenhagen strongly denies that claim. It recently committed to invest $4bn in Arctic security including boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a bilateral agreement, the US maintains a strategic outpost currently on Greenland – set up at the onset of the Cold War. It has scaled down the number of personnel there from about 10,000 during peak that era to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of neglecting polar defense, recently.

Denmark has signaled it is amenable to dialogue about a bigger US presence on the island and more but faced with the US President's warning of going it alone, the Danish PM said on Monday that the US leader's goal to acquire Greenland should be treated with gravity.

After the Washington's moves in Venezuela this past few days, her colleges in Europe are heeding that warning.

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