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Just this morning, a informal Alliance of the Willing, predominantly consisting of European heads of state, convened in Paris with representatives of the Trump administration, attempting to make further progress on a durable peace agreement for Ukraine.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a plan to halt the hostilities with Russia is "largely complete", no-one in that gathering wished to endanger keeping the Americans involved.

Yet, there was an immense unspoken issue in that impressive and sparkling summit, and the fundamental atmosphere was extremely tense.

Bear in mind the events of the past week: the White House's controversial intervention in the South American nation and the President Trump's assertion soon after, that "our national security requires Greenland from the standpoint of strategic interests".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's largest island – it's sixfold the area of Germany. It lies in the Arctic but is an self-governing region of Copenhagen.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was seated across from two influential figures representing Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from her EU colleagues to refrain from antagonising the US over the Greenland issue, lest that affects US assistance for the Ukrainian cause.

Europe's leaders would have far preferred to separate the Arctic dispute and the discussions on Ukraine apart. But with the diplomatic heat mounting from Washington and Denmark, leaders of major European nations at the Paris meeting issued a communiqué asserting: "The island is part of NATO. Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies like the US".

"It is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters related to the kingdom and Greenland," the declaration added.

The statement was received positively by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics say it was slow to be formulated and, due to the restricted group of signatories to the statement, it did not manage to show a Europe aligned in objective.

"If there had been a common declaration from all 27 EU partners, in addition to NATO ally the UK, in defense of Copenhagen's control, that would have sent a resounding message to America," noted a European foreign policy expert.

Ponder the paradox at work at the Paris summit. Multiple EU national and other leaders, including the alliance and the EU, are trying to secure the cooperation of the White House in guaranteeing the future sovereignty of a EU nation (the Eastern European nation) against the hostile territorial ambitions of an external actor (Russia), immediately after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela with force, arresting its head of state, while also continuing to actively challenging the territorial integrity of a different EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Copenhagen and the US are both participants of the military bloc NATO. They are, as stated by Copenhagen, exceptionally key friends. Previously, they were considered so.

The dilemma is, if Trump were to act upon his desire to acquire Greenland, would it represent not just an existential threat to NATO but also a major challenge for the EU?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Trampled Underfoot

This is not the first time Trump has voiced his intention to control the Arctic island. He's proposed buying it in the past. He's also refused to rule out forcible annexation.

He insisted that the territory is "crucially located right now, Greenland is patrolled by foreign vessels all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the vantage point of national security and Denmark is unable to provide security".

Denmark refutes that claim. It not long ago vowed to spend $4bn in the island's defense for boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a bilateral agreement, the US has a strategic outpost already on Greenland – founded at the onset of the East-West standoff. It has cut the number of personnel there from around 10,000 during the height of the confrontation to approximately 200 and the US has often been faulted of neglecting polar defense, recently.

Denmark has suggested it is open to discussion about a expanded US role on the territory and more but confronted by the US President's threat of unilateral action, the Danish PM said on Monday that Trump's ambition to control Greenland should be taken seriously.

Following the American intervention in Venezuela this past few days, her counterparts in Europe are heeding that warning.

"This whole situation has just underlined – for the umpteenth time – Europe's basic vulnerability {