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Earlier today, a so-called Coalition of the Willing, mostly composed of EU heads of state, convened in Paris with delegates of US President Donald Trump, hoping to achieve further progress on a durable settlement for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring that a roadmap to conclude the hostilities with Russia is "90% of the way there", nobody in that room wished to risk keeping the US involved.

Yet, there was an colossal unspoken issue in that impressive and luxurious summit, and the prevailing atmosphere was exceptionally uneasy.

Recall the actions of the last few days: the US administration's controversial intervention in the South American nation and the American leader's assertion soon after, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the standpoint of national security".

This massive island is the world's biggest island – it's six times the dimensions of Germany. It is located in the Arctic but is an autonomous possession of Denmark's.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, was sitting across from two powerful individuals speaking on behalf of Trump: diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from her EU colleagues not to provoking the US over Greenland, lest that undermines US assistance for Ukraine.

EU heads of state would have greatly desired to compartmentalize Greenland and the discussions on Ukraine distinct. But with the tensions rising from Washington and Copenhagen, leaders of major states at the gathering put out a declaration stating: "The island is part of NATO. Defense in the North must therefore be achieved jointly, in cooperation with treaty partners including the US".

"Sovereignty is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and no one else, to decide on matters related to the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the statement further stated.

The statement was welcomed by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts argue it was tardy to be put together and, due to the limited group of endorsers to the statement, it failed to show a European Union aligned in purpose.

"If there had been a joint statement from all 27 member states, plus NATO ally the UK, in support of Danish control, that would have delivered a powerful message to Washington," commented a EU defense specialist.

Reflect on the irony at play at the Paris summit. Multiple European government and other officials, including the alliance and the EU, are seeking to involve the White House in guaranteeing the future autonomy of a continental state (Ukraine) against the aggressive geopolitical designs of an outside force (Russia), immediately after the US has entered independent Venezuela with force, taking its president into custody, while also continuing to actively threatening the territorial integrity of a further European nation (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both signatories of the defensive pact NATO. They are, according to Danish officials, profoundly close allies. Or were.

The issue is, should Trump fulfill his ambition to bring Greenland under US control, would it represent not just an fundamental challenge to NATO but also a profound problem for the European Union?

Europe Risks Being Overlooked

This is far from the first instance Trump has voiced his resolve to dominate the Arctic island. He's suggested purchasing it in the past. He's also left open the possibility of forcible annexation.

Recently that the island is "crucially located right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese vessels all over the place. Our security demands Greenland from the standpoint of national security and Denmark is unable to do it".

Copenhagen contests that last statement. It not long ago pledged to invest $4bn in the island's defense including boats, drones and aircraft.

Under a bilateral agreement, the US maintains a defense installation already on Greenland – established at the start of the East-West standoff. It has cut the number of staff there from approximately 10,000 during the height of that era to about 200 and the US has long been accused of taking its eye off the northern theater, up to this point.

Denmark has indicated it is willing to talk about a larger US role on the territory and further cooperation but in light of the US President's assertion 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 Washington's moves in Venezuela this weekend, her fellow leaders across Europe are taking it seriously.

"The current crisis has just underlined – for the umpteenth time – Europe's core vulnerability {