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Just this morning, a self-styled Coalition of the Determined, predominantly composed of European leaders, gathered in Paris with envoys of President Trump, aiming to make additional headway on a durable settlement for Ukraine.

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

Yet, there was an immense elephant in the room in that impressive and glittering Paris meeting, and the fundamental tension was profoundly strained.

Recall the actions of the recent days: the Trump administration's contentious intervention in Venezuela and the President Trump's declaration soon after, that "we need Greenland from the viewpoint of strategic interests".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's greatest island – it's 600% the area of Germany. It is situated in the far north but is an semi-independent region of Denmark's.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was sitting facing two influential personalities speaking on behalf of Trump: emissary Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from her EU colleagues to avoid antagonising the US over the Greenland issue, in case that affects US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

EU heads of state would have greatly desired to keep the Arctic dispute and the debate on Ukraine separate. But with the diplomatic heat mounting from Washington and Denmark, leaders of big states at the Paris meeting released a communiqué saying: "This territory is part of NATO. Stability in the North must therefore be attained jointly, in partnership with treaty partners including the United States".

"The decision is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on issues related to the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the communiqué continued.

The communique was welcomed by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts contend it was delayed to be put together and, because of the small group of endorsers to the statement, it did not manage to show a European Union united in objective.

"Were there a unified statement from all 27 EU partners, plus NATO ally the UK, in support of Copenhagen's authority, that would have sent a resounding signal to the US," noted a EU defense specialist.

Consider the paradox at play at the European gathering. Multiple European national and other officials, including NATO and the EU, are seeking to engage the White House in guaranteeing the future autonomy of a continental state (the Eastern European nation) against the hostile territorial ambitions of an foreign power (Russia), just after the US has entered independent Venezuela with force, arresting its head of state, while also continuing to actively undermining the territorial integrity of a further EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Copenhagen and the US are both participants of the transatlantic alliance NATO. They are, in the view of Danish officials, extremely strong partners. At least, they were.

The dilemma is, were Trump to act upon his ambition to assert control over the island, would it represent not just an severe risk to NATO but also a major problem for the EU?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Trampled Underfoot

This is not the first time Trump has voiced his resolve to acquire Greenland. He's proposed acquiring it in the past. He's also refused to rule out taking it by force.

He insisted that the territory is "vitally important right now, it is covered with Russian and Chinese vessels all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the vantage point of national security and Denmark is incapable to do it".

Denmark refutes that last statement. It recently pledged to spend $4bn in Greenland defence for boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a bilateral agreement, the US maintains a military base currently on Greenland – established at the beginning of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the number of staff there from around 10,000 during the height of that era to about 200 and the US has long been accused of overlooking polar defense, until now.

Copenhagen has signaled it is amenable to dialogue about a bigger US role on the island and more but in light of the US President's threat of unilateral action, Frederiksen said on Monday that Washington's desire to acquire Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

In the wake of the Washington's moves in Venezuela this past few days, her counterparts throughout Europe are heeding that warning.

"The current crisis has just underlined – yet again – the EU's basic shortcoming {