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Just this morning, a self-styled Coalition of the Determined, mostly composed of EU officials, convened in Paris with delegates of President Trump, hoping to achieve additional headway on a durable peace agreement for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a framework to conclude the war with Russia is "nearly finalized", nobody in that gathering wanted to risk retaining the US engaged.

Yet, there was an immense elephant in the room in that impressive and glittering summit, and the prevailing atmosphere was profoundly uneasy.

Recall the developments of the past week: the US administration's contentious incursion in the South American nation and the President Trump's assertion shortly thereafter, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the standpoint of strategic interests".

Greenland is the world's largest island – it's six times the size of Germany. It is located in the Arctic but is an self-governing region of Denmark's.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was sitting facing two key individuals acting for Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from European colleagues to refrain from provoking the US over the Arctic question, in case that undermines US support for the Ukrainian cause.

EU heads of state would have far preferred to separate the Arctic dispute and the discussions on the war apart. But with the tensions escalating from the White House and Denmark, representatives of leading European nations at the gathering put out a declaration asserting: "This territory is part of NATO. Security in the Arctic must therefore be attained collectively, in partnership with alliance members including the America".

"It is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them alone, to determine on issues concerning Denmark and its autonomous territory," the declaration added.

The communique was welcomed by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers contend it was delayed to be drafted and, owing to the limited group of supporters to the declaration, it failed to demonstrate a Europe aligned in purpose.

"If there had been a unified position from all 27 European Union countries, in addition to alliance partner the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's authority, that would have conveyed a powerful signal to the US," stated a European defense specialist.

Consider the paradox at play at the European gathering. Several European national and other officials, such as NATO and the European Union, are attempting to engage the Trump administration in safeguarding the future autonomy of a continental state (Ukraine) against the aggressive territorial ambitions of an foreign power (Russia), just after the US has entered independent Venezuela militarily, taking its president into custody, while also continuing to openly threatening the autonomy of a different EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

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

The dilemma is, were Trump to fulfill his desire to acquire Greenland, would it constitute not just an fundamental challenge to the alliance but also a profound crisis for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Marginalized

This is far from the first instance President Trump has expressed his determination to dominate Greenland. He's floated the idea of purchasing it in the past. He's also not excluded taking it by force.

On Sunday that the landmass 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 national security and Copenhagen is unable to provide security".

Copenhagen refutes that last statement. It recently vowed to allocate $4bn in Greenland defence for boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a bilateral agreement, the US maintains a strategic outpost already on Greenland – set up at the start of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the number of troops there from around 10,000 during the height of Cold War operations to about 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of taking its eye off the northern theater, until now.

Copenhagen has suggested it is willing to talk about a expanded US role on the island and additional measures but in light of the US President's assertion of unilateral action, the Danish PM said on Monday that the US leader's goal to take Greenland should be taken seriously.

After the American intervention in Venezuela this past few days, her fellow leaders across Europe are heeding that warning.

"This whole situation has just underlined – yet again – Europe's fundamental vulnerability {