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Earlier today, a so-called Group of the Committed, predominantly consisting of EU leaders, gathered in Paris with envoys of the Trump administration, hoping to secure further progress on a durable peace agreement for Ukraine.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a roadmap to end the war with Russia is "90% of the way there", nobody in that room desired to jeopardise keeping the US engaged.

Yet, there was an colossal unspoken issue in that impressive and luxurious gathering, and the underlying tension was profoundly strained.

Bear in mind the events of the recent days: the Trump administration's divisive incursion in Venezuela and the President Trump's assertion soon after, that "our national security requires Greenland from the standpoint of defense".

Greenland is the world's largest island – it's six times the area of Germany. It is located in the Arctic region but is an self-governing region of Copenhagen.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was sitting across from two influential personalities speaking on behalf of Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from European counterparts not to antagonising the US over the Arctic question, for fear that that undermines US assistance for Ukraine.

The continent's officials would have far preferred to separate Greenland and the discussions on the war distinct. But with the political temperature rising from Washington and Copenhagen, representatives of leading states at the talks released a statement saying: "This territory is part of NATO. Defense in the North must therefore be secured collectively, in conjunction with alliance members including the America".

"The decision is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and no one else, to decide on issues related to Denmark and its autonomous territory," the communiqué added.

The announcement was welcomed by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts argue it was tardy to be formulated and, owing to the small number of supporters to the statement, it was unable to project a European Union in agreement in purpose.

"Were there a unified position from all 27 EU partners, plus NATO ally the UK, in support of Copenhagen's authority, that would have delivered a strong message to the US," commented a European foreign policy expert.

Reflect on the irony at hand at the European gathering. Numerous European government and other leaders, including NATO and the EU, are attempting to secure the cooperation of the Trump administration in safeguarding the future sovereignty of a continental state (the Eastern European nation) against the expansionist land claims of an foreign power (Russia), immediately after the US has entered sovereign Venezuela militarily, taking its president into custody, while also still actively challenging the sovereignty of a different European nation (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both signatories of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, as stated by Copenhagen, extremely strong partners. Or were.

The dilemma is, should Trump make good on his ambition to acquire Greenland, would it represent not just an fundamental challenge to NATO but also a major crisis for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Marginalized

This is not the first time Trump has expressed his intention to dominate Greenland. He's floated the idea of buying it in the past. He's also not excluded forcible annexation.

Recently that the island is "crucially located right now, it is covered with Russian and Chinese vessels all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the standpoint of national security and Copenhagen is unable to handle it".

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

Under a mutual pact, the US maintains a military base currently on Greenland – founded at the start of the Cold War. It has cut the total of staff there from around 10,000 during peak that era to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of taking its eye off the northern theater, recently.

Denmark has signaled it is willing to talk about a expanded US footprint on the territory and more but confronted by the US President's warning of going it alone, the Danish PM said on Monday that the US leader's goal to take Greenland should be taken seriously.

Following the US administration's actions in Venezuela this weekend, her counterparts across Europe are doing just that.

"This whole situation has just emphasized – once again – the EU's core shortcoming {