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This very day, a informal Alliance of the Committed, mostly composed of European heads of state, met in the French capital with representatives of US President Donald Trump, attempting to secure more headway on a lasting settlement for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a plan to conclude the conflict with Russia is "largely complete", nobody in that meeting wished to risk maintaining the Americans engaged.

Yet, there was an enormous elephant in the room in that opulent and luxurious gathering, and the underlying atmosphere was extremely uneasy.

Bear in mind the events of the last few days: the US administration's divisive incursion in Venezuela and the US president's declaration following this, that "our national security requires Greenland from the perspective of strategic interests".

Greenland is the world's largest island – it's sixfold the area of Germany. It is situated in the Arctic but is an self-governing possession of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was seated opposite two key figures representing Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from her EU counterparts not to provoking the US over the Arctic question, lest that affects US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

EU heads of state would have much rather to compartmentalize Greenland and the debate on the war apart. But with the political temperature mounting from the White House and Denmark, representatives of leading European nations at the gathering put out a statement saying: "This territory is part of NATO. Security in the Arctic must therefore be attained jointly, in partnership with treaty partners such as the America".

"It is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and them alone, to decide on issues related to the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the statement further stated.

The announcement was welcomed by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts contend it was delayed to be put together and, because of the limited set of supporters to the declaration, it did not manage to project a Europe in agreement in purpose.

"Were there a joint statement from all 27 EU partners, in addition to alliance partner the UK, in support of Danish control, that would have conveyed a strong warning to the US," commented a EU defense expert.

Consider the irony at work at the Paris summit. Several EU national and other officials, including the alliance and the EU, are attempting to involve the US administration in safeguarding the future independence of a European country (the Eastern European nation) against the hostile geopolitical designs of an external actor (Russia), immediately after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela militarily, taking its president into custody, while also still actively challenging the territorial integrity of another 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, in the view of Copenhagen, exceptionally close allies. Or were.

The issue is, were Trump to fulfill his ambition to acquire Greenland, would it constitute not just an severe risk to the alliance but also a major problem for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Trampled Underfoot

This is far from the first instance President Trump has voiced his determination to dominate Greenland. He's proposed purchasing it in the past. He's also left open the possibility of forcible annexation.

Recently that the landmass is "crucially located right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese vessels all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the perspective of national security and Denmark is unable to do it".

Copenhagen strongly denies that last statement. It has lately pledged to invest $4bn in Arctic security for boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a treaty, the US maintains a military base already on the island – established at the onset of the East-West standoff. It has reduced the figure of personnel there from approximately 10,000 during peak the confrontation to about 200 and the US has long been accused of taking its eye off the northern theater, up to this point.

Denmark has indicated it is willing to talk about a expanded US role on the territory and additional measures but confronted by the US President's assertion of unilateral action, the Danish PM said on Monday that Washington's desire to take Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

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

"This whole situation has just highlighted – for the umpteenth time – the EU's fundamental weakness {