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Just this morning, a self-styled Alliance of the Committed, largely consisting of European heads of state, gathered in the French capital with envoys of the Trump administration, aiming to secure more advances on a lasting peace agreement for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a roadmap to end the war with Russia is "90% of the way there", no-one in that meeting desired to jeopardise retaining the Americans engaged.

Yet, there was an colossal elephant in the room in that impressive and sparkling Paris meeting, and the underlying tension was exceptionally tense.

Bear in mind the developments of the recent days: the Trump administration's divisive incursion in Venezuela and the President Trump's declaration soon after, that "we need Greenland from the standpoint of national security".

This massive island is the world's biggest island – it's 600% the dimensions of Germany. It lies in the Arctic region but is an self-governing possession of Copenhagen.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was sitting facing two powerful personalities acting for Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from her EU colleagues to refrain from provoking the US over Greenland, for fear that that affects US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

Europe's leaders would have greatly desired to separate Greenland and the discussions on the war apart. But with the political temperature mounting from the White House and Denmark, leaders of big European nations at the talks released a declaration stating: "Greenland is part of the alliance. Defense in the North must therefore be secured jointly, in conjunction with treaty partners including the US".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to decide on affairs concerning Denmark and its autonomous territory," the communiqué further stated.

The announcement was greeted by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers contend it was slow to be drafted and, owing to the small set of signatories to the declaration, it failed to show a Europe in agreement in purpose.

"If there had been a common declaration from all 27 member states, in addition to NATO ally the UK, in defense of Danish authority, that would have sent a strong warning to Washington," commented a EU defense specialist.

Reflect on the irony at play at the Paris summit. Numerous European government and other officials, including the alliance and the EU, are attempting to involve the White House in safeguarding the future sovereignty of a continental state (the Eastern European nation) against the aggressive territorial ambitions of an external actor (Moscow), immediately after the US has swooped into sovereign Venezuela militarily, taking its president into custody, while also persistently publicly threatening the sovereignty of another continental ally (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Denmark and the US are both members of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, in the view of Copenhagen, profoundly close allies. At least, they were.

The question is, were Trump to act upon his ambition to acquire Greenland, would it constitute not just an severe risk to NATO but also a major crisis for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Trampled Underfoot

This is not the first time President Trump has expressed his determination to control the Arctic island. He's floated the idea of acquiring it in the past. He's also left open the possibility of forcible annexation.

Recently that the island is "crucially located right now, it is covered with foreign naval assets all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the perspective of defense and Denmark is incapable to handle it".

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

Pursuant to a mutual pact, the US operates a military base already on Greenland – set up at the start of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the figure of personnel there from about 10,000 during the height of Cold War operations to about 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of overlooking polar defense, up to this point.

Denmark has indicated it is amenable to dialogue about a expanded US role on the island and additional measures but in light of the US President's warning of going it alone, the Danish PM said on Monday that Washington's desire to take Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

After the Washington's moves in Venezuela this past few days, her colleges throughout Europe are doing just that.

"The current crisis has just highlighted – yet again – Europe's fundamental vulnerability {