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This very day, a self-styled Coalition of the Determined, predominantly consisting of EU heads of state, convened in the French capital with representatives of President Trump, aiming to make more advances on a durable settlement for the embattled nation.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a roadmap to end the hostilities with Russia is "nearly finalized", nobody in that room wanted to jeopardise keeping the Americans onboard.

Yet, there was an enormous glaring omission in that opulent and sparkling Paris meeting, and the prevailing mood was exceptionally tense.

Bear in mind the actions of the last few days: the White House's contentious incursion in Venezuela and the President Trump's declaration shortly thereafter, that "our national security requires Greenland from the viewpoint of national security".

This massive island is the world's largest island – it's six times the area of Germany. It lies in the Arctic region but is an self-governing territory of Denmark's.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was positioned across from two key figures acting for Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from European allies to refrain from alienating the US over Greenland, for fear that that impacts US backing for Ukraine.

EU heads of state would have greatly desired to keep Greenland and the discussions on Ukraine separate. But with the political temperature escalating from the White House and Denmark, representatives of big EU countries at the Paris meeting released a declaration saying: "This territory is part of the alliance. Security in the North must therefore be achieved together, in partnership with NATO allies like the US".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and Greenland, and them alone, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and its autonomous territory," the communiqué continued.

The communique 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 statement, it failed to project a European Union in agreement in intent.

"Had there been a unified statement from all 27 member states, plus alliance partner the UK, in support of Danish sovereignty, that would have delivered a resounding signal to Washington," commented a European foreign policy expert.

Ponder the irony at hand at the France meeting. Several EU government and other leaders, including the alliance and the European Union, are trying to involve the Trump administration in guaranteeing the future sovereignty of a continental state (the Eastern European nation) against the hostile territorial ambitions of an foreign power (Russia), immediately after the US has intervened in independent Venezuela by armed intervention, taking its president into custody, while also still publicly undermining the autonomy of a different EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both participants of the defensive pact NATO. They are, as stated by Danish officials, exceptionally close allies. Previously, they were considered so.

The question is, were Trump to make good on his desire to bring Greenland under US control, would it represent not just an existential threat to the alliance but also a significant problem for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Trampled Underfoot

This is not the first time President Trump has expressed his determination to acquire Greenland. He's suggested buying it in the past. He's also refused to rule out forcible annexation.

He insisted that the landmass is "so strategic right now, Greenland is covered with foreign ships all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the perspective of strategic interests and Copenhagen is not going to be able to provide security".

Denmark contests that claim. It recently pledged to allocate $4bn in Greenland defence for boats, drones and aircraft.

Pursuant to a mutual pact, the US has a strategic outpost already on Greenland – set up at the start of the Cold War. It has reduced the figure of personnel there from about 10,000 during the height of the confrontation to about 200 and the US has often been faulted of overlooking polar defense, up to this point.

Denmark has signaled it is willing to talk about a larger US presence on the territory and additional measures but faced with the US President's assertion of unilateral action, Frederiksen said on Monday that the US leader's goal to control Greenland should be taken seriously.

In the wake of the American intervention in Venezuela this weekend, her counterparts throughout Europe are heeding that warning.

"The current crisis has just emphasized – yet again – the EU's basic shortcoming {