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Earlier today, a self-styled Coalition of the Determined, predominantly consisting of EU heads of state, convened in the French capital with envoys of President Trump, hoping to achieve more headway on a lasting settlement for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a framework to conclude the conflict with Russia is "90% of the way there", not a single person in that gathering wished to endanger keeping the Americans onboard.

Yet, there was an immense glaring omission in that opulent and luxurious Paris meeting, and the underlying atmosphere was exceptionally strained.

Bear in mind the developments of the past week: the US administration's divisive involvement in the South American nation and the US president's declaration shortly thereafter, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the viewpoint of strategic interests".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's largest island – it's sixfold the size of Germany. It is situated in the Arctic region but is an semi-independent region of Denmark's.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was positioned facing two influential individuals acting for Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from her EU counterparts to avoid antagonising the US over Greenland, in case that undermines US support for Ukraine.

The continent's officials would have much rather to keep Greenland and the negotiations on Ukraine apart. But with the tensions mounting from Washington and Denmark, leaders of leading states at the gathering issued a communiqué saying: "The island is part of the alliance. Security in the Arctic must therefore be secured jointly, in partnership with alliance members including the United States".

"It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to rule on affairs regarding the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the communiqué added.

The communique was received positively by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts say it was tardy to be put together and, due to the restricted number of supporters to the declaration, it did not manage to project a European Union united in objective.

"Had there been a common declaration from all 27 member states, plus alliance partner the UK, in support of Danish sovereignty, that would have sent a resounding message to Washington," noted a European foreign policy expert.

Ponder the paradox at work at the France meeting. Numerous European government and other leaders, from NATO and the EU, are trying to secure the cooperation of the White House in safeguarding the future independence of a continental state (the Eastern European nation) against the hostile land claims of an outside force (Russia), immediately after the US has intervened in independent Venezuela militarily, detaining its leader, while also continuing to actively challenging the sovereignty of a different continental ally (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Denmark and the US are both participants of the defensive pact the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, in the view of Danish officials, exceptionally close allies. Or were.

The dilemma is, if Trump were to fulfill his goal to bring Greenland under US control, would it represent not just an fundamental challenge to NATO but also a major challenge for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Marginalized

This is not the first time President Trump has expressed his resolve to acquire the Arctic island. He's suggested acquiring it in the past. He's also refused to rule out forcible annexation.

On Sunday that the island is "crucially located right now, it is patrolled by foreign naval assets all over the place. We need Greenland from the vantage point of national security and Denmark is not going to be able to do it".

Copenhagen contests that assertion. It not long ago vowed to spend $4bn in the island's defense encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

Under a treaty, the US operates a strategic outpost presently on Greenland – established at the start of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the number of troops there from approximately 10,000 during the height of the confrontation to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of overlooking polar defense, recently.

Copenhagen has suggested it is willing to talk about a larger US role on the island and further cooperation but faced with the US President's threat of going it alone, the Danish PM said on Monday that the US leader's goal to acquire Greenland should be taken seriously.

In the wake of the US administration's actions in Venezuela this past few days, her counterparts throughout Europe are doing just that.

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