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Earlier today, a self-styled Alliance of the Willing, predominantly consisting of European leaders, met in the French capital with delegates of President Trump, hoping to achieve additional advances on a sustainable peace agreement for Ukraine.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a framework to conclude the conflict with Russia is "90% of the way there", no-one in that gathering wished to jeopardise keeping the Americans engaged.

Yet, there was an immense unspoken issue in that impressive and sparkling Paris meeting, and the prevailing tension was extremely strained.

Bear in mind the events of the recent days: the White House's controversial incursion in Venezuela and the President Trump's insistence following this, that "our national security requires Greenland from the viewpoint of national security".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's largest island – it's 600% the size of Germany. It lies in the far north but is an autonomous territory of Denmark's.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was seated opposite two influential figures representing Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from European counterparts to avoid antagonising the US over the Arctic question, for fear that that undermines US backing for Ukraine.

Europe's leaders would have greatly desired to keep the Arctic dispute and the discussions on Ukraine distinct. But with the political temperature mounting from Washington and Denmark, leaders of major EU countries at the Paris meeting put out a communiqué saying: "This territory is part of the alliance. Defense in the North must therefore be secured jointly, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States".

"It is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and no one else, to determine on matters related to the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the declaration added.

The communique was greeted by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers contend it was delayed to be put together and, owing to the small number of endorsers to the statement, it did not manage to project a European Union aligned in objective.

"If there had been a unified statement from all 27 member states, along with NATO ally the UK, in defense of Danish authority, that would have delivered a strong message to the US," stated a EU defense expert.

Reflect on the irony at hand at the France meeting. Numerous European government and other leaders, such as the alliance and the EU, are attempting to secure the cooperation of the Trump administration in safeguarding the future sovereignty of a European country (Ukraine) against the aggressive land claims of an outside force (Russia), on the heels of the US has swooped into independent Venezuela militarily, detaining its leader, while also still openly undermining the territorial integrity of a further European nation (Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Denmark and the US are both members of the transatlantic alliance the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, in the view of Copenhagen, extremely strong partners. Or were.

The dilemma is, if Trump were to act upon his ambition to acquire Greenland, would it mark not just an severe risk to the alliance but also a significant challenge for the EU?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Marginalized

This is far from the first instance President Trump has expressed his resolve to dominate the Arctic island. He's suggested acquiring it in the past. He's also refused to rule out taking it by force.

He insisted that the island is "crucially located right now, it is patrolled by foreign ships all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the perspective of national security and Denmark is incapable to handle it".

Copenhagen refutes that assertion. It has lately pledged to invest $4bn in Greenland defence including boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a bilateral agreement, the US operates a military base already on the island – founded at the beginning of the Cold War. It has cut the number of staff there from approximately 10,000 during the height of the confrontation to around 200 and the US has often been faulted of taking its eye off Arctic Security, until now.

Denmark has indicated it is amenable to dialogue about a bigger US footprint on the territory and more but confronted by the US President's threat of independent moves, the Danish PM said on Monday that Washington's desire to acquire Greenland should be treated with gravity.

Following the US administration's actions in Venezuela this past few days, her fellow leaders across Europe are heeding that warning.

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