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Earlier today, a self-styled Group of the Willing, predominantly made up of EU leaders, convened in the French capital with representatives of the Trump administration, hoping to make more progress on a lasting settlement for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a plan to conclude the conflict with Russia is "largely complete", no-one in that gathering wished to risk retaining the Americans involved.

Yet, there was an colossal unspoken issue in that impressive and luxurious gathering, and the underlying mood was extremely strained.

Recall the actions of the recent days: the US administration's divisive involvement in Venezuela and the President Trump's declaration soon after, that "our national security requires Greenland from the viewpoint of national security".

This massive island is the world's biggest island – it's six times the size of Germany. It lies in the Arctic but is an self-governing possession of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was positioned facing two powerful figures acting for Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from her EU colleagues not to alienating the US over Greenland, in case that impacts US backing for Ukraine.

The continent's officials would have much rather to keep Greenland and the negotiations on the war distinct. But with the diplomatic heat rising from the White House and Copenhagen, leaders of leading European nations at the gathering put out a communiqué asserting: "This territory is part of NATO. Defense in the North must therefore be achieved together, in partnership with NATO allies like the US".

"The decision is for Copenhagen and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to decide on affairs related to the kingdom and Greenland," the communiqué added.

The announcement was received positively by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but observers say it was slow to be formulated and, due to the limited group of endorsers to the statement, it was unable to project a Europe united in objective.

"Were there a common position from all 27 member states, in addition to alliance partner the UK, in defense of Copenhagen's authority, that would have delivered a powerful signal to the US," commented a EU foreign policy expert.

Reflect on the irony at hand at the European gathering. Multiple European national and other officials, including the alliance and the EU, are seeking to secure the cooperation of the Trump administration in safeguarding the future independence of a EU nation (the Eastern European nation) against the aggressive land claims of an foreign power (Russia), just after the US has entered sovereign Venezuela militarily, arresting its head of state, while also still actively undermining the sovereignty of a further continental ally (Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both members of the transatlantic alliance the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, in the view of Copenhagen, profoundly strong partners. Previously, they were considered so.

The issue is, were Trump to act upon his goal to acquire Greenland, would it mark not just an existential threat to NATO but also a significant problem for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Marginalized

This is not the first time President Trump has expressed his resolve to acquire Greenland. He's proposed buying it in the past. He's also not excluded a military seizure.

Recently that the island is "vitally important right now, it is frequented by foreign naval assets all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the vantage point of defense and Copenhagen is incapable to handle it".

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

Pursuant to a bilateral agreement, the US has a strategic outpost presently on the island – founded at the start of the East-West standoff. It has reduced the number of troops there from around 10,000 during peak the confrontation to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of taking its eye off polar defense, up to this point.

Denmark has suggested it is willing to talk about a larger US presence on the island and further cooperation but confronted by the US President's assertion of going it alone, the Danish PM said on Monday that Trump's ambition to take Greenland should be treated with gravity.

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

"These developments has just highlighted – for the umpteenth time – Europe's fundamental vulnerability {