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This very day, a informal Group of the Willing, mostly made up of European heads of state, convened in the French capital with delegates of the Trump administration, hoping to make further headway on a durable peace agreement for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a framework to conclude the hostilities with Russia is "nearly finalized", nobody in that room wished to jeopardise keeping the Washington onboard.

Yet, there was an colossal elephant in the room in that grand and sparkling gathering, and the underlying atmosphere was profoundly uneasy.

Bear in mind the actions of the recent days: the White House's controversial incursion in Venezuela and the American leader's declaration soon after, that "our national security requires Greenland from the standpoint of defense".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's biggest island – it's six times the area of Germany. It is located in the Arctic region but is an self-governing possession of Denmark's.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was seated across from two powerful individuals acting for Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from European counterparts not to alienating the US over the Arctic question, in case that undermines US assistance for Ukraine.

Europe's leaders would have far preferred to keep Greenland and the discussions on Ukraine distinct. But with the tensions rising from the White House and Denmark, representatives of leading European nations at the Paris meeting released a declaration stating: "Greenland is part of NATO. Defense in the Arctic must therefore be secured jointly, in cooperation with alliance members like the America".

"Sovereignty is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and them only, to rule on affairs regarding Denmark and its autonomous territory," the communiqué further stated.

The announcement was received positively by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics argue it was tardy to be drafted and, because of the small group of signatories to the statement, it was unable to show a Europe in agreement in intent.

"Were there a joint statement from all 27 European Union countries, in addition to NATO ally the UK, in defense of Copenhagen's control, that would have conveyed a powerful warning to America," commented a EU foreign policy expert.

Reflect on the contradiction at hand at the France meeting. Multiple European national and other officials, such as the alliance and the European Union, are trying to involve the Trump administration in guaranteeing the future independence of a European country (Ukraine) against the aggressive territorial ambitions of an outside force (Moscow), just after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela with force, arresting its head of state, while also continuing to publicly undermining the sovereignty of a further EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To add to the complexity – Denmark and the US are both members of the defensive pact the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, according to Danish officials, exceptionally close allies. Previously, they were considered so.

The issue is, were Trump to act upon his ambition to bring Greenland under US control, would it constitute not just an existential threat to NATO but also a significant crisis for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Trampled Underfoot

This is not an isolated incident President Trump has spoken of his intention to dominate Greenland. He's proposed purchasing it in the past. He's also refused to rule out taking it by force.

He insisted that the territory is "crucially located right now, Greenland is patrolled by foreign vessels all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the perspective of strategic interests and Denmark is not going to be able to provide security".

Denmark refutes that last statement. It has lately committed to allocate $4bn in Greenland defence encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a bilateral agreement, the US has a defense installation currently on the island – founded at the start of the Cold War. It has scaled down the figure of personnel there from about 10,000 during the height of that era to approximately 200 and the US has often been faulted of overlooking polar defense, recently.

Copenhagen has indicated it is open to discussion about a bigger US role on the territory and additional measures but in light of the US President's warning of unilateral action, the Danish PM said on Monday that Trump's ambition to take Greenland should be treated with gravity.

After the Washington's moves in Venezuela this weekend, her counterparts throughout Europe are heeding that warning.

"The current crisis has just emphasized – once again – Europe's core shortcoming {