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Earlier today, a informal Coalition of the Determined, mostly made up of EU officials, gathered in Paris with envoys of President Trump, aiming to make further advances on a sustainable settlement for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a framework to halt the conflict with Russia is "nearly finalized", no-one in that meeting wanted to risk keeping the US onboard.

Yet, there was an enormous glaring omission in that impressive and glittering Paris meeting, and the underlying tension was extremely tense.

Consider the actions of the past week: the White House's contentious incursion in the South American nation and the US president's insistence soon after, that "our national security requires Greenland from the standpoint of defense".

Greenland is the world's greatest island – it's six times the size of Germany. It lies in the Arctic region but is an semi-independent possession of Denmark's.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Copenhagen's leader, was seated facing two powerful individuals speaking on behalf of Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from her EU colleagues to avoid alienating the US over the Greenland issue, in case that affects US support for the Ukrainian cause.

Europe's leaders would have much rather to separate the Arctic dispute and the negotiations on Ukraine distinct. But with the political temperature mounting from Washington and Copenhagen, leaders of major states at the gathering issued a declaration stating: "This territory is part of NATO. Security in the North must therefore be achieved together, in partnership with NATO allies including the US".

"Sovereignty is for Copenhagen and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to determine on issues related to Denmark and its autonomous territory," the declaration continued.

The statement was welcomed by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts argue it was slow to be put together and, because of the restricted number of endorsers to the declaration, it did not manage to show a Europe aligned in intent.

"Were there a joint position from all 27 member states, along with NATO ally the UK, in defense of Danish control, that would have conveyed a strong message to the US," noted a EU defense specialist.

Reflect on the paradox at hand at the France meeting. Numerous EU government and other leaders, such as the alliance and the EU, are attempting to engage the White House in guaranteeing the future autonomy of a continental state (Ukraine) against the aggressive geopolitical designs of an foreign power (Moscow), on the heels of the US has swooped into independent Venezuela by armed intervention, arresting its head of state, while also continuing to publicly challenging the autonomy of a different continental ally (Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both participants of the defensive pact the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, in the view of Danish officials, extremely key friends. Or were.

The issue is, if Trump were to make good on his ambition to acquire Greenland, would it constitute not just an existential threat to NATO but also a major problem for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Marginalized

This is far from the first instance Trump has voiced his determination to dominate the Arctic island. He's proposed purchasing it in the past. He's also refused to rule out taking it by force.

He insisted that the landmass is "so strategic right now, it is covered with Russian and Chinese naval assets all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security and Copenhagen is incapable to provide security".

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

As per a treaty, the US has a defense installation already on the island – established at the start of the Cold War. It has cut the number of personnel there from approximately 10,000 during the height of the confrontation to around 200 and the US has often been faulted of taking its eye off Arctic Security, recently.

Copenhagen has suggested it is open to discussion about a bigger US footprint on the island and additional measures but in light of the US President's threat of independent moves, the Danish PM said on Monday that the US leader's goal to acquire Greenland should be taken seriously.

In the wake of the American intervention in Venezuela this past few days, her fellow leaders in Europe are taking it seriously.

"This whole situation has just underlined – once again – Europe's core vulnerability {