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Earlier today, a informal Alliance of the Committed, predominantly consisting of European officials, convened in Paris with representatives of President Trump, hoping to make more headway on a durable settlement for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a plan to halt the hostilities with Russia is "nearly finalized", nobody in that gathering wished to risk maintaining the US engaged.

Yet, there was an enormous unspoken issue in that grand and luxurious summit, and the prevailing mood was profoundly uneasy.

Consider the events of the past week: the US administration's contentious involvement in Venezuela and the US president's assertion soon after, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the standpoint of national security".

Greenland is the world's greatest island – it's sixfold the area of Germany. It lies in the Arctic but is an semi-independent territory of Denmark's.

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

She was under pressure from European counterparts to avoid antagonising the US over the Arctic question, for fear that that undermines US assistance for Ukraine.

EU heads of state would have far preferred to compartmentalize Greenland and the debate on Ukraine apart. But with the political temperature escalating from Washington and Copenhagen, leaders of big states at the talks issued a declaration saying: "Greenland is part of NATO. Stability in the North must therefore be secured collectively, in partnership with NATO allies such as the America".

"Sovereignty is for Copenhagen and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and its autonomous territory," the statement further stated.

The communique was received positively by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics contend it was tardy to be put together and, owing to the restricted group of supporters to the declaration, it did not manage to demonstrate a Europe aligned in intent.

"Had there been a joint statement from all 27 EU partners, plus alliance partner the UK, in defense of Danish control, that would have sent a strong warning to Washington," noted a European defense analyst.

Ponder the paradox at play at the European gathering. Numerous EU government and other officials, including NATO and the European Union, are trying to engage the US administration in guaranteeing the future autonomy of a European country (Ukraine) against the aggressive territorial ambitions of an external actor (Russia), immediately after the US has entered independent Venezuela by armed intervention, detaining its leader, while also still openly threatening the sovereignty of a further European nation (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Denmark and the US are both participants of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, as stated by Copenhagen, exceptionally key friends. Or were.

The dilemma is, if Trump were to fulfill his desire to bring Greenland under US control, would it constitute not just an existential threat to the alliance but also a major challenge for the EU?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is not the first time President Trump has voiced his intention to dominate the Arctic island. He's floated the idea of purchasing it in the past. He's also not excluded a military seizure.

Recently that the landmass is "so strategic right now, it is frequented by foreign naval assets all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the perspective of national security and Denmark is not going to be able to handle it".

Denmark contests that assertion. It recently vowed to spend $4bn in Arctic security including boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a mutual pact, the US maintains a strategic outpost presently on Greenland – set up at the onset of the Cold War. It has reduced the total of personnel there from approximately 10,000 during peak Cold War operations to about 200 and the US has long been accused of taking its eye off Arctic Security, recently.

Denmark has signaled it is open to discussion about a larger US role on the territory and more but in light of 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 past few days, her counterparts throughout Europe are doing just that.

"These developments has just underlined – yet again – Europe's basic weakness {