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This very day, a self-styled Group of the Willing, mostly consisting of EU leaders, gathered in the French capital with representatives of President Trump, aiming to secure more advances on a sustainable peace agreement for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a framework to end the conflict with Russia is "largely complete", not a single person in that gathering wanted to risk keeping the Americans involved.

Yet, there was an enormous unspoken issue in that impressive and luxurious gathering, and the underlying mood was profoundly uneasy.

Recall the actions of the past week: the Trump administration's controversial intervention in the South American nation and the US president's declaration following this, that "our national security requires Greenland from the standpoint of defense".

This massive island is the world's greatest island – it's sixfold the area of Germany. It is situated in the far north but is an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was positioned facing two influential individuals acting for Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from European counterparts to refrain from antagonising the US over the Greenland issue, lest that undermines US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

The continent's officials would have greatly desired to compartmentalize the Arctic dispute and the debate on the war distinct. But with the tensions rising from the White House and Copenhagen, leaders of leading states at the gathering issued a statement stating: "Greenland is part of NATO. Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in cooperation with treaty partners including the United States".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to determine on issues regarding the kingdom and Greenland," the communiqué further stated.

The announcement was welcomed by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts contend it was slow to be put together and, owing to the small set of endorsers to the declaration, it was unable to show a Europe united in purpose.

"If there had been a unified statement from all 27 EU partners, plus alliance partner the UK, in defense of Copenhagen's sovereignty, that would have sent a powerful message to Washington," commented a EU defense expert.

Reflect on the paradox at play at the Paris summit. Several European national and other leaders, from the alliance and the EU, are attempting to secure the cooperation of the White House in guaranteeing the future autonomy of a European country (Ukraine) against the expansionist land claims of an foreign power (Russia), immediately after the US has entered independent Venezuela by armed intervention, taking its president into custody, while also still publicly undermining the sovereignty of a further continental ally (Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Denmark and the US are both signatories of the transatlantic alliance the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, in the view of Danish officials, extremely key friends. At least, they were.

The issue is, if Trump were to fulfill his goal to acquire Greenland, would it mark not just an severe risk to NATO but also a significant challenge for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Marginalized

This is far from the first instance President Trump has spoken of his determination to acquire the Arctic island. He's floated the idea of buying it in the past. He's also left open the possibility of forcible annexation.

Recently that the territory is "so strategic right now, Greenland is frequented by Russian and Chinese naval assets all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the standpoint of strategic interests and Denmark is not going to be able to do it".

Denmark strongly denies that claim. It has lately committed to invest $4bn in the island's defense encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

Under a treaty, the US maintains a defense installation currently on Greenland – established at the beginning of the East-West standoff. It has reduced the total of personnel there from about 10,000 during the height of that era to around 200 and the US has often been faulted of taking its eye off polar defense, until now.

Denmark has indicated it is open to discussion about a larger US footprint on the island and additional measures but in light of the US President's threat of going it alone, the Danish PM said on Monday that the US leader's goal to control Greenland should be treated with gravity.

After the US administration's actions in Venezuela this weekend, her counterparts across Europe are heeding that warning.

"The current crisis has just highlighted – for the umpteenth time – the EU's basic weakness {