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Earlier today, a self-styled Alliance of the Determined, mostly composed of European officials, convened in the French capital with delegates of US President Donald Trump, aiming to make more progress on a durable peace deal for Ukraine.

With Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a plan to halt the war with Russia is "largely complete", no-one in that meeting wished to risk maintaining the Washington involved.

Yet, there was an colossal unspoken issue in that impressive and sparkling summit, and the underlying mood was profoundly strained.

Consider the events of the past week: the Trump administration's controversial incursion in Venezuela and the US president's insistence shortly thereafter, that "our national security requires Greenland from the perspective of strategic interests".

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

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was positioned across from two influential figures representing Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from her EU colleagues to avoid antagonising the US over Greenland, in case that impacts US assistance for the Ukrainian cause.

EU heads of state would have much rather to keep Greenland and the debate on Ukraine separate. But with the diplomatic heat mounting from the White House and Denmark, leaders of leading states at the gathering put out a declaration asserting: "This territory is part of NATO. Stability in the Arctic must therefore be attained jointly, in partnership with alliance members such as the America".

"The decision is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and no one else, to rule on matters regarding the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the communiqué continued.

The communique was greeted by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics argue it was tardy to be put together and, due to the limited set of endorsers to the declaration, it did not manage to project a Europe united in purpose.

"Were there a common declaration from all 27 EU partners, along with alliance partner the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's sovereignty, that would have conveyed a powerful warning to Washington," stated a European foreign policy expert.

Ponder the irony at play at the Paris summit. Several EU government and other leaders, from the alliance and the European Union, are attempting to involve the White House in safeguarding the future sovereignty of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the expansionist geopolitical designs of an foreign power (Moscow), just after the US has entered independent Venezuela militarily, taking its president into custody, while also continuing to publicly undermining the sovereignty of a different continental ally (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Denmark and the US are both members of the defensive pact NATO. They are, in the view of Danish officials, exceptionally close allies. Or were.

The question is, if Trump were to act upon his desire to bring Greenland under US control, would it constitute not just an severe risk to the alliance but also a profound problem for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is far from the first instance President Trump has expressed his determination to dominate Greenland. He's floated the idea of buying it in the past. He's also refused to rule out a military seizure.

He insisted that the landmass is "so strategic right now, it is patrolled by foreign naval assets all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the vantage point of defense and Copenhagen is incapable to do it".

Denmark contests that last statement. It recently committed to spend $4bn in Greenland defence including boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a bilateral agreement, the US maintains a strategic outpost already on Greenland – founded at the onset of the Cold War. It has cut the number of staff there from approximately 10,000 during peak that era to approximately 200 and the US has often been faulted of neglecting polar defense, recently.

Denmark has indicated it is open to discussion about a expanded US presence on the territory and further cooperation but in light of the US President's threat of independent moves, the Danish PM said on Monday that Washington's desire to take Greenland should be taken seriously.

Following the American intervention in Venezuela this weekend, her fellow leaders across Europe are taking it seriously.

"This whole situation has just underlined – for the umpteenth time – Europe's basic vulnerability {