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This very day, a self-styled Coalition of the Committed, mostly composed of EU officials, convened in the French capital with delegates of President Trump, aiming to secure more advances on a durable settlement for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a roadmap to conclude the conflict with Russia is "nearly finalized", not a single person in that meeting wanted to endanger retaining the US involved.

Yet, there was an enormous unspoken issue in that grand and sparkling Paris meeting, and the fundamental tension was profoundly tense.

Bear in mind the actions of the last few days: the Trump administration's divisive incursion in Venezuela and the US president's declaration soon after, that "we need Greenland from the perspective of defense".

Greenland is the world's greatest island – it's sixfold the area of Germany. It is situated in the Arctic but is an self-governing possession of Denmark's.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was positioned facing two key personalities speaking on behalf of Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from her EU colleagues to refrain from alienating the US over the Arctic question, for fear that that affects US support for the Ukrainian cause.

Europe's leaders would have greatly desired to separate the Arctic dispute and the discussions on Ukraine distinct. But with the tensions escalating from the White House and Denmark, leaders of leading EU countries at the gathering issued a statement stating: "This territory is part of the alliance. Security in the Arctic must therefore be secured collectively, in partnership with treaty partners including the US".

"Sovereignty is for Copenhagen and the Greenlandic authorities, and them alone, to rule on issues concerning Denmark and its autonomous territory," the statement added.

The communique was greeted by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts say it was delayed to be formulated and, because of the limited group of endorsers to the statement, it failed to show a European Union aligned in purpose.

"Had there been a joint declaration from all 27 European Union countries, in addition to NATO ally the UK, in defense of Danish authority, that would have sent a resounding signal to Washington," commented a EU defense analyst.

Consider the paradox at work at the European gathering. Numerous European government and other officials, including NATO and the European Union, are trying to involve the Trump administration in protecting the future autonomy of a continental state (Ukraine) against the aggressive geopolitical designs of an external actor (Moscow), just after the US has intervened in independent Venezuela with force, taking its president into custody, while also persistently actively challenging the sovereignty of a further EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both participants of the defensive pact NATO. They are, as stated by Copenhagen, exceptionally key friends. At least, they were.

The issue is, were Trump to act upon his desire to acquire Greenland, would it represent not just an fundamental challenge to the alliance but also a profound crisis for the EU?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Marginalized

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

He insisted that the island is "so strategic right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese vessels all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the standpoint of strategic interests and Copenhagen is unable to provide security".

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

As per a mutual pact, the US operates a strategic outpost presently on Greenland – set up at the start of the Cold War. It has reduced the figure of troops there from about 10,000 during peak Cold War operations to approximately 200 and the US has often been faulted of neglecting polar defense, recently.

Copenhagen has signaled it is amenable to dialogue about a bigger US footprint on the territory and further cooperation but faced with the US President's assertion of going it alone, Frederiksen said on Monday that the US leader's goal to control Greenland should be taken seriously.

After the Washington's moves in Venezuela this weekend, her counterparts in Europe are doing just that.

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