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Just this morning, a self-styled Coalition of the Willing, mostly made up of EU heads of state, convened in Paris with envoys of US President Donald Trump, attempting to make additional advances on a sustainable settlement for Ukraine.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a roadmap to conclude the hostilities with Russia is "90% of the way there", no-one in that meeting wished to risk keeping the US onboard.

Yet, there was an colossal elephant in the room in that grand and luxurious Paris meeting, and the fundamental tension was profoundly strained.

Recall the developments of the last few days: the Trump administration's divisive intervention in Venezuela and the American leader's declaration soon after, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the perspective of defense".

Greenland is the world's biggest island – it's sixfold the dimensions of Germany. It is located in the Arctic region but is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was seated facing two influential personalities acting for Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from European colleagues to refrain from provoking the US over the Greenland issue, in case that impacts US backing for Ukraine.

Europe's leaders would have far preferred to compartmentalize the Arctic dispute and the discussions on Ukraine apart. But with the diplomatic heat rising from Washington and Denmark, leaders of major EU countries at the Paris meeting released a communiqué asserting: "This territory is part of the alliance. Security in the North must therefore be attained together, in conjunction with alliance members like the America".

"The decision is for Copenhagen and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to decide on issues related to Denmark and its autonomous territory," the declaration further stated.

The communique was greeted by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers argue it was slow to be drafted and, owing to the limited group of endorsers to the statement, it was unable to project a Europe in agreement in intent.

"Had there been a joint declaration from all 27 member states, along with NATO ally the UK, in defense of Copenhagen's sovereignty, that would have conveyed a resounding warning to Washington," noted a European defense expert.

Consider the contradiction at play at the European gathering. Multiple EU government and other leaders, from NATO and the EU, are attempting to engage the Trump administration in guaranteeing the future autonomy of a EU nation (the Eastern European nation) against the hostile geopolitical designs of an external actor (Russia), immediately after the US has entered sovereign Venezuela militarily, taking its president into custody, while also still publicly threatening the territorial integrity of a further EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Copenhagen and the US are both members of the military bloc NATO. They are, as stated by Danish officials, profoundly key friends. At least, they were.

The question is, were Trump to act upon his desire to acquire Greenland, would it constitute not just an existential threat to NATO but also a profound problem for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Overlooked

This is not the first time Trump has spoken of his intention to control Greenland. He's floated the idea of acquiring it in the past. He's also not excluded a military seizure.

On Sunday that the territory is "crucially located right now, Greenland is patrolled by foreign naval assets all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the vantage point of strategic interests and Denmark is not going to be able to provide security".

Copenhagen refutes that assertion. It not long ago pledged to allocate $4bn in Greenland defence encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a bilateral agreement, the US maintains a strategic outpost already on Greenland – set up at the beginning of the East-West standoff. It has cut the number of troops there from about 10,000 during the height of Cold War operations to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of neglecting polar defense, up to this point.

Copenhagen has suggested it is willing to talk about a bigger US role on the territory and more but confronted by the US President's assertion of going it alone, Frederiksen said on Monday that Trump's ambition to control Greenland should be treated with gravity.

After the Washington's moves in Venezuela this past few days, her fellow leaders in Europe are taking it seriously.

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