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This very day, a informal Coalition of the Committed, predominantly composed of EU leaders, met in the French capital with representatives of US President Donald Trump, attempting to make more advances on a durable peace agreement for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a plan to halt the conflict with Russia is "90% of the way there", nobody in that room desired to risk maintaining the Washington engaged.

Yet, there was an immense unspoken issue in that impressive and glittering Paris meeting, and the underlying atmosphere was exceptionally tense.

Bear in mind the events of the last few days: the Trump administration's contentious involvement in the South American nation and the US president's declaration soon after, that "we need Greenland from the viewpoint of national security".

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

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was positioned opposite two powerful figures speaking on behalf of Trump: emissary Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from European colleagues to refrain from provoking the US over Greenland, lest that impacts US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

Europe's leaders would have far preferred to keep Greenland and the negotiations on Ukraine apart. But with the diplomatic heat rising from the White House and Copenhagen, representatives of leading EU countries at the talks released a communiqué asserting: "The island is part of the alliance. Defense in the Arctic must therefore be achieved jointly, in conjunction with treaty partners including the America".

"It is for Copenhagen and the Greenlandic authorities, and them alone, to determine on matters regarding Denmark and its autonomous territory," the communiqué added.

The statement was received positively by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts argue it was slow to be formulated and, because of the restricted number of endorsers to the statement, it failed to demonstrate a European Union in agreement in objective.

"Were there a common statement from all 27 European Union countries, along with alliance partner the UK, in backing of Danish sovereignty, that would have sent a resounding message to Washington," commented a EU foreign policy expert.

Ponder the irony at work at the France meeting. Several European national and other officials, such as NATO and the European Union, are seeking to involve the US administration in guaranteeing the future autonomy of a continental state (Ukraine) against the aggressive territorial ambitions of an outside force (Russia), just after the US has swooped into sovereign Venezuela by armed intervention, taking its president into custody, while also continuing to actively undermining the sovereignty of another EU member (Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Copenhagen and the US are both members of the transatlantic alliance NATO. They are, as stated by Danish officials, exceptionally close allies. Previously, they were considered so.

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

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Trampled Underfoot

This is not an isolated incident Trump has voiced his resolve to control Greenland. He's suggested purchasing it in the past. He's also not excluded forcible annexation.

Recently that the landmass is "crucially located right now, Greenland is frequented by foreign ships all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the vantage point of strategic interests and Denmark is unable to handle it".

Copenhagen contests that last statement. It recently pledged to allocate $4bn in Greenland defence including boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a treaty, the US operates a strategic outpost currently on the island – established at the beginning of the East-West standoff. It has reduced the number of staff there from about 10,000 during the height of the confrontation to approximately 200 and the US has often been faulted of neglecting the northern theater, up to this point.

Denmark has suggested it is open to discussion about a bigger US presence on the island and additional measures but faced with the US President's threat of unilateral action, the Danish PM said on Monday that Washington's desire to take Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

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

"These developments has just emphasized – yet again – Europe's fundamental shortcoming {