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Just this morning, a informal Coalition of the Willing, predominantly made up of European leaders, convened in Paris with delegates of President Trump, hoping to secure further advances on a lasting peace deal for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a plan to halt the war with Russia is "90% of the way there", not a single person in that gathering desired to endanger maintaining the US involved.

Yet, there was an enormous elephant in the room in that opulent and luxurious gathering, and the prevailing mood was profoundly uneasy.

Bear in mind the events of the recent days: the Trump administration's contentious involvement in Venezuela and the President Trump's declaration following this, that "our national security requires Greenland from the viewpoint of national security".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's biggest island – it's six times the dimensions of Germany. It is located in the far north but is an semi-independent territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was sitting across from two powerful personalities representing Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from European allies to avoid provoking the US over Greenland, lest that impacts US backing for Ukraine.

The continent's officials would have greatly desired to separate Greenland and the discussions on the war separate. But with the political temperature escalating from Washington and Denmark, representatives of leading European nations at the gathering issued a declaration asserting: "The island is part of the alliance. Stability in the Arctic must therefore be attained together, in partnership with NATO allies such as the America".

"The decision is for Denmark and Greenland, and them alone, to determine on matters related to Denmark and Greenland," the communiqué added.

The communique was greeted by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics say it was tardy to be drafted and, owing to the limited group of endorsers to the statement, it did not manage to show a Europe united in intent.

"Were there a joint declaration from all 27 member states, in addition to alliance partner the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's control, that would have conveyed a resounding signal to America," stated a European defense expert.

Reflect on the contradiction at work at the France meeting. Several European national and other leaders, including the alliance and the European Union, are attempting to involve the White House in safeguarding the future sovereignty of a EU nation (the Eastern European nation) against the aggressive territorial ambitions of an outside force (Russia), just after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela with force, taking its president into custody, while also still actively challenging the autonomy of a different EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To compound the situation – Denmark and the US are both signatories of the transatlantic alliance the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, as stated by Copenhagen, extremely key friends. Previously, they were considered so.

The question is, if Trump were to make good on his goal to acquire Greenland, would it represent not just an fundamental challenge to NATO but also a profound problem for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Marginalized

This is far from the first instance President Trump has voiced his intention to acquire the Arctic island. He's floated the idea of acquiring it in the past. He's also not excluded a military seizure.

Recently that the landmass is "vitally important right now, it is frequented by foreign naval assets all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the vantage point of national security and Copenhagen is unable to do it".

Denmark refutes that assertion. It has lately committed to spend $4bn in Arctic security for boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a bilateral agreement, the US has a strategic outpost presently on Greenland – set up at the start of the Cold War. It has reduced the figure of staff there from around 10,000 during peak the confrontation to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of overlooking polar defense, up to this point.

Denmark has suggested it is amenable to dialogue about a expanded US footprint on the territory and additional measures but confronted by the US President's warning of unilateral action, 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 past few days, her colleges across Europe are doing just that.

"The current crisis has just emphasized – yet again – the EU's core vulnerability {