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This very day, a self-styled Coalition of the Willing, largely made up of EU officials, gathered in Paris with envoys of President Trump, hoping to achieve additional progress on a sustainable settlement for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a framework to halt the hostilities with Russia is "largely complete", nobody in that room desired to risk maintaining the Americans involved.

Yet, there was an enormous elephant in the room in that opulent and luxurious gathering, and the underlying tension was profoundly tense.

Consider the events of the last few days: the White House's divisive involvement in Venezuela and the President Trump's insistence shortly thereafter, that "we need Greenland from the perspective of national security".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's biggest island – it's 600% the dimensions of Germany. It lies in the Arctic but is an self-governing region of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was seated across from two powerful personalities speaking on behalf of Trump: emissary Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from European counterparts to avoid antagonising the US over the Arctic question, lest that impacts US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

The continent's officials would have much rather to separate the Arctic dispute and the negotiations on Ukraine separate. But with the diplomatic heat escalating from the White House and Copenhagen, representatives of big EU countries at the gathering put out a communiqué saying: "Greenland is part of NATO. Security in the North must therefore be secured jointly, in conjunction with NATO allies including the US".

"The decision is for Denmark and Greenland, and them alone, to decide on matters regarding the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the statement further stated.

The announcement was received positively by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts argue it was delayed to be drafted and, due to the limited number of supporters to the declaration, it was unable to project a European Union united in intent.

"Had there been a joint position from all 27 European Union countries, along with alliance partner the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's control, that would have sent a strong signal to America," commented a EU foreign policy specialist.

Reflect on the paradox at work at the France meeting. Several European national and other leaders, from NATO and the EU, are trying to secure the cooperation of the Trump administration in protecting the future autonomy of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the hostile territorial ambitions of an foreign power (Russia), immediately after the US has swooped into independent Venezuela by armed intervention, arresting its head of state, while also persistently actively undermining the autonomy of a different continental ally (the Kingdom of Denmark).

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

The dilemma is, should Trump act upon his desire to assert control over the island, would it mark not just an severe risk to the alliance but also a major problem for the EU?

Europe Risks Being Trampled Underfoot

This is not an isolated incident President Trump has spoken of his resolve to acquire Greenland. He's floated the idea of acquiring it in the past. He's also left open the possibility of taking it by force.

Recently that the territory is "so strategic right now, Greenland is covered with foreign ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the perspective of defense and Denmark is unable to provide security".

Denmark contests that last statement. It not long ago pledged to allocate $4bn in Arctic security including boats, drones and aircraft.

Under a bilateral agreement, the US maintains a strategic outpost already on Greenland – founded at the start of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the figure of personnel there from around 10,000 during peak that era to around 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of neglecting polar defense, until now.

Copenhagen has signaled it is amenable to dialogue about a expanded US presence on the island and more but confronted by the US President's threat of unilateral action, Frederiksen said on Monday that the US leader's goal to acquire Greenland should be taken seriously.

After the Washington's moves in Venezuela this weekend, her counterparts throughout Europe are doing just that.

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