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Just this morning, a so-called Alliance of the Committed, predominantly consisting of European leaders, met in the French capital with envoys of President Trump, aiming to secure further progress on a lasting peace agreement for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a roadmap to halt the hostilities with Russia is "90% of the way there", no-one in that room wished to endanger maintaining the Washington involved.

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

Consider the events of the past week: the US administration's controversial incursion in the South American nation and the President Trump's assertion soon after, that "we need Greenland from the standpoint of national security".

This massive island is the world's biggest island – it's sixfold the dimensions of Germany. It is located in the far north but is an autonomous region of Denmark's.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, Copenhagen's leader, was seated facing two powerful figures representing Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from her EU allies to refrain from provoking the US over the Greenland issue, lest that undermines US support for the Ukrainian cause.

The continent's officials would have far preferred to separate the Arctic dispute and the negotiations on Ukraine separate. But with the political temperature mounting from the White House and Copenhagen, representatives of major EU countries at the gathering issued a communiqué saying: "This territory is part of the alliance. Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved jointly, in cooperation with alliance members including the America".

"The decision is for Denmark and Greenland, and them alone, to rule on issues related to Denmark and Greenland," the communiqué further stated.

The announcement was greeted by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts argue it was delayed to be put together and, due to the limited group of endorsers to the statement, it was unable to demonstrate a European Union aligned in objective.

"Had there been a unified statement from all 27 European Union countries, in addition to alliance partner the UK, in defense of Copenhagen's authority, that would have sent a resounding message to Washington," stated a EU foreign policy expert.

Consider the irony at work at the France meeting. Numerous European government and other leaders, such as NATO and the European Union, are seeking to involve the US administration in guaranteeing the future sovereignty of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the aggressive territorial ambitions of an foreign power (Moscow), just after the US has entered sovereign Venezuela militarily, arresting its head of state, while also still actively challenging the territorial integrity of a different European nation (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Copenhagen and the US are both members of the military bloc NATO. They are, in the view of Danish officials, profoundly close allies. Previously, they were considered so.

The question is, were Trump to act upon his goal to bring Greenland under US control, would it represent not just an fundamental challenge to NATO but also a significant crisis for the EU?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Trampled Underfoot

This is far from the first instance President Trump has expressed his resolve to control Greenland. He's suggested purchasing it in the past. He's also not excluded a military seizure.

He insisted that the territory is "crucially located right now, Greenland is frequented by Russian and Chinese naval assets all over the place. We need Greenland from the perspective of strategic interests and Denmark is incapable to handle it".

Denmark refutes that last statement. It not long ago pledged to invest $4bn in Arctic security for boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a bilateral agreement, the US operates a military base already on Greenland – established at the onset of the East-West standoff. It has reduced the total of staff there from about 10,000 during peak that era to about 200 and the US has long been accused of taking its eye off Arctic Security, until now.

Denmark has indicated it is open to discussion about a bigger US role on the island and additional measures but confronted by the US President's assertion of unilateral action, the Danish PM said on Monday that Washington's desire to control Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

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

"The current crisis has just emphasized – for the umpteenth time – the EU's fundamental weakness {