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Earlier today, a self-styled Alliance of the Willing, mostly made up of EU heads of state, gathered in the French capital with representatives of US President Donald Trump, aiming to achieve more headway on a lasting peace deal for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a roadmap to conclude the conflict with Russia is "nearly finalized", not a single person in that room desired to jeopardise retaining the Americans onboard.

Yet, there was an immense glaring omission in that grand and sparkling Paris meeting, and the fundamental mood was exceptionally strained.

Recall the developments of the recent days: the Trump administration's divisive involvement in Venezuela and the US president's assertion soon after, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the standpoint of national security".

This massive island is the world's largest island – it's 600% the area of Germany. It lies in the Arctic region but is an semi-independent region of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was seated facing two powerful figures acting for Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from European counterparts to avoid antagonising the US over Greenland, in case that undermines US assistance for the Ukrainian cause.

The continent's officials would have far preferred to keep Greenland and the negotiations on Ukraine distinct. But with the diplomatic heat escalating from the White House and Copenhagen, leaders of major states at the talks issued a communiqué stating: "This territory is part of NATO. Security in the Arctic must therefore be secured jointly, in partnership with NATO allies such as the America".

"It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning the kingdom and Greenland," the statement continued.

The communique was welcomed by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics contend it was delayed to be drafted and, because of the small number of signatories to the statement, it was unable to show a European Union aligned in intent.

"If there had been a common position from all 27 European Union countries, plus NATO ally the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's authority, that would have delivered a strong warning to Washington," stated a EU defense analyst.

Ponder the paradox at work at the Paris summit. Numerous EU government and other leaders, from the alliance and the EU, are trying to involve the Trump administration in safeguarding the future autonomy of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the hostile land claims of an external actor (Russia), immediately after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela with force, taking its president into custody, while also persistently publicly threatening the autonomy of another European nation (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To compound the situation – Denmark and the US are both participants of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, as stated by Danish officials, exceptionally close allies. At least, they were.

The dilemma is, should Trump make good on his desire to bring Greenland under US control, would it represent not just an severe risk to NATO but also a major challenge for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is not the first time President Trump has spoken of his resolve to acquire Greenland. He's proposed purchasing it in the past. He's also left open the possibility of taking it by force.

On Sunday that the landmass is "crucially located right now, it is covered with Russian and Chinese naval assets all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the standpoint of defense and Denmark is incapable to do it".

Denmark contests that claim. It has lately committed to allocate $4bn in the island's defense for boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a bilateral agreement, the US has a defense installation presently on the island – founded at the beginning of the Cold War. It has cut the total of personnel there from approximately 10,000 during peak Cold War operations to approximately 200 and the US has long been accused of overlooking the northern theater, recently.

Denmark has indicated it is amenable to dialogue about a larger US footprint on the island and more but confronted by the US President's threat of independent moves, Frederiksen said on Monday that the US leader's goal to control Greenland should be treated with gravity.

After the American intervention in Venezuela this past few days, her colleges in Europe are taking it seriously.

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