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Earlier today, a so-called Coalition of the Willing, predominantly composed of EU officials, convened in Paris with delegates of US President Donald Trump, hoping to achieve more headway on a lasting settlement for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a framework to end the war with Russia is "nearly finalized", nobody in that room wanted to jeopardise maintaining the US engaged.

Yet, there was an enormous unspoken issue in that grand and sparkling summit, and the underlying mood was exceptionally strained.

Bear in mind the actions of the recent days: the White House's contentious incursion in Venezuela and the American leader's assertion soon after, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the standpoint of defense".

Greenland is the world's largest island – it's 600% the area of Germany. It is located in the far north but is an self-governing possession of Copenhagen.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was positioned across from two influential individuals representing Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from European colleagues not to antagonising the US over the Greenland issue, lest that affects US backing for Ukraine.

Europe's leaders would have far preferred to keep the Arctic dispute and the negotiations on Ukraine separate. But with the diplomatic heat mounting from Washington and Denmark, representatives of major states at the talks released a communiqué saying: "The island is part of the alliance. Stability in the North must therefore be secured collectively, in partnership with NATO allies like the US".

"It is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and them alone, to decide on matters regarding Denmark and Greenland," the communiqué continued.

The statement was received positively by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics argue it was delayed to be formulated and, due to the restricted group of endorsers to the statement, it failed to show a European Union united in intent.

"If there had been a unified declaration from all 27 EU partners, along with NATO ally the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's control, that would have conveyed a powerful warning to America," stated a EU foreign policy specialist.

Consider the irony at play at the France meeting. Several EU national and other leaders, from the alliance and the European Union, are attempting to involve the US administration in guaranteeing the future independence of a European country (Ukraine) against the hostile territorial ambitions of an foreign power (Russia), immediately after the US has swooped into sovereign Venezuela militarily, arresting its head of state, while also continuing to actively threatening the sovereignty of a further continental ally (Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both signatories of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, according to Copenhagen, extremely key friends. At least, they were.

The issue is, were Trump to act upon his desire to bring Greenland under US control, would it mark not just an severe risk to NATO but also a profound problem for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Overlooked

This is not an isolated incident President Trump has spoken of his intention to control the Arctic island. He's floated the idea of buying it in the past. He's also refused to rule out taking it by force.

Recently that the landmass is "so strategic right now, Greenland is frequented by Russian and Chinese naval assets all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the vantage point of defense and Denmark is not going to be able to provide security".

Denmark contests that last statement. It recently committed to invest $4bn in the island's defense including boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a mutual pact, the US maintains a strategic outpost already on Greenland – founded at the onset of the Cold War. It has cut the figure of personnel there from approximately 10,000 during the height of the confrontation to approximately 200 and the US has often been faulted of taking its eye off polar defense, until now.

Denmark has suggested it is open to discussion about a larger US footprint on the territory and more but in light of the US President's warning of independent moves, the Danish PM said on Monday that Trump's ambition to take Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

Following the Washington's moves in Venezuela this weekend, her colleges across Europe are doing just that.

"The current crisis has just emphasized – yet again – Europe's fundamental shortcoming {