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Just this morning, a self-styled Group of the Willing, mostly composed of EU leaders, convened in the French capital with delegates of President Trump, attempting to make more advances on a lasting peace deal for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a plan to end the conflict with Russia is "largely complete", no-one in that meeting wished to endanger retaining the US involved.

Yet, there was an colossal glaring omission in that grand and luxurious summit, and the fundamental atmosphere was profoundly uneasy.

Consider the events of the last few days: the Trump administration's controversial incursion in Venezuela and the US president's declaration shortly thereafter, that "we need Greenland from the perspective of defense".

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

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was positioned across from two key personalities speaking on behalf of Trump: emissary Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from her EU counterparts to refrain from alienating the US over Greenland, for fear that that affects US backing for the Ukrainian cause.

The continent's officials would have much rather to compartmentalize the Arctic dispute and the debate on Ukraine distinct. But with the tensions rising from the White House and Copenhagen, leaders of big European nations at the gathering released a communiqué stating: "This territory is part of the alliance. Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in cooperation with treaty partners like the America".

"The decision is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and them alone, to determine on issues regarding Denmark and its autonomous territory," the statement further stated.

The communique was received positively by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts contend it was slow to be drafted and, owing to the restricted group of endorsers to the statement, it was unable to project a Europe in agreement in purpose.

"Were there a joint position from all 27 European Union countries, in addition to alliance partner the UK, in defense of Copenhagen's sovereignty, that would have conveyed a powerful warning to Washington," commented a European foreign policy expert.

Ponder the contradiction at work at the France meeting. Numerous EU government and other officials, such as the alliance and the European Union, are attempting to engage the Trump administration in protecting the future independence of a EU nation (the Eastern European nation) against the hostile land claims of an external actor (Moscow), just after the US has swooped into independent Venezuela by armed intervention, arresting its head of state, while also continuing to actively threatening the autonomy of a further continental ally (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Copenhagen and the US are both participants of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, in the view of Danish officials, extremely close allies. At least, they were.

The dilemma is, if Trump were to act upon his desire to acquire Greenland, would it represent not just an existential threat to the alliance but also a profound crisis for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Trampled Underfoot

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

He insisted that the landmass is "so strategic right now, Greenland is frequented by foreign ships all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the vantage point of defense and Denmark is unable to provide security".

Copenhagen strongly denies that last statement. It has lately vowed to allocate $4bn in Arctic security including boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a bilateral agreement, the US operates a defense installation presently on Greenland – set up at the beginning of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the number of troops there from approximately 10,000 during the height of Cold War operations to approximately 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of neglecting polar defense, until now.

Denmark has signaled it is amenable to dialogue about a expanded US role on the island and additional measures but confronted by the US President's threat of independent moves, Frederiksen said on Monday that the US leader's goal to acquire Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

After the US administration's actions in Venezuela this weekend, her colleges in Europe are doing just that.

"The current crisis has just underlined – for the umpteenth time – the EU's core vulnerability {