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This very day, a self-styled Alliance of the Committed, mostly consisting of EU heads of state, convened in Paris with representatives of President Trump, aiming to secure more progress on a durable settlement for Ukraine.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a roadmap to halt the hostilities with Russia is "90% of the way there", nobody in that gathering desired to jeopardise retaining the US involved.

Yet, there was an immense elephant in the room in that grand and sparkling Paris meeting, and the prevailing tension was profoundly uneasy.

Consider the events of the last few days: the White House's controversial intervention in Venezuela and the US president's assertion following this, that "we need Greenland from the standpoint of defense".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's greatest island – it's 600% the dimensions of Germany. It is located in the Arctic region but is an self-governing region of Copenhagen.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was sitting across from two key personalities speaking on behalf of Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from her EU colleagues not to provoking the US over Greenland, lest that impacts US support for the Ukrainian cause.

EU heads of state would have much rather to compartmentalize the Arctic dispute and the negotiations on the war separate. But with the tensions mounting from Washington and Copenhagen, leaders of major states at the gathering issued a declaration stating: "Greenland is part of the alliance. Defense in the North must therefore be achieved together, in conjunction with alliance members such as the United States".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to determine on affairs related to the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the statement further stated.

The statement was received positively by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics contend it was delayed to be put together and, due to the restricted group of endorsers to the statement, it failed to show a Europe in agreement in objective.

"If there had been a common statement from all 27 member states, in addition to alliance partner the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's authority, that would have sent a powerful warning to the US," commented a European defense analyst.

Consider the irony at work at the France meeting. Several EU national and other leaders, such as NATO and the European Union, are attempting to secure the cooperation of the White House in safeguarding the future independence of a continental state (Ukraine) against the expansionist territorial ambitions of an foreign power (Moscow), on the heels of the US has entered independent Venezuela with force, taking its president into custody, while also persistently openly challenging the territorial integrity of a different EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To compound the situation – Denmark and the US are both signatories of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, according to Copenhagen, profoundly close allies. Previously, they were considered so.

The issue is, should Trump make good on his ambition to acquire Greenland, would it mark not just an fundamental challenge to NATO but also a significant problem for the EU?

Europe Risks Being Trampled Underfoot

This is not an isolated incident President Trump has expressed his resolve to acquire the Arctic island. He's floated the idea of purchasing it in the past. He's also refused to rule out a military seizure.

On Sunday that the landmass is "crucially located right now, Greenland is covered with foreign vessels all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the vantage point of defense and Copenhagen is not going to be able to provide security".

Copenhagen contests that assertion. It has lately vowed to invest $4bn in the island's defense including boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a mutual pact, the US has a military base already on Greenland – founded at the start of the Cold War. It has scaled down the total of personnel there from around 10,000 during peak Cold War operations to approximately 200 and the US has long been accused of overlooking Arctic Security, recently.

Copenhagen has indicated it is open to discussion about a larger US role on the territory and additional measures but confronted by the US President's threat of unilateral action, the Danish PM said on Monday that Trump's ambition to acquire Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

In the wake of the Washington's moves in Venezuela this past few days, her counterparts throughout Europe are taking it seriously.

"The current crisis has just emphasized – for the umpteenth time – Europe's basic shortcoming {