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Just this morning, a self-styled Alliance of the Willing, largely composed of EU heads of state, gathered in Paris with delegates of US President Donald Trump, aiming to achieve further headway on a sustainable settlement for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a framework to conclude the hostilities with Russia is "nearly finalized", not a single person in that meeting wished to jeopardise keeping the US engaged.

Yet, there was an colossal glaring omission in that grand and luxurious summit, and the prevailing tension was profoundly tense.

Bear in mind the actions of the recent days: the White House's controversial involvement in Venezuela and the American leader's insistence shortly thereafter, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the standpoint of national security".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's largest island – it's six times the size of Germany. It lies in the far north but is an self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Copenhagen's leader, was sitting facing two key personalities speaking on behalf of Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.

She was facing pressure from European allies to avoid alienating the US over the Greenland issue, lest that undermines US assistance for Ukraine.

Europe's leaders would have far preferred to keep the Arctic dispute and the discussions on the war distinct. But with the diplomatic heat rising from the White House and Denmark, leaders of major European nations at the Paris meeting issued a statement asserting: "Greenland is part of the alliance. Defense in the Arctic must therefore be achieved together, in partnership with alliance members like the America".

"It is for Denmark and Greenland, and no one else, to rule on issues related to the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the declaration continued.

The announcement was welcomed by the island's leader, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics argue it was slow to be drafted and, due to the restricted number of endorsers to the declaration, it did not manage to project a Europe in agreement in purpose.

"Had there been a joint statement from all 27 member states, along with NATO ally the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's control, that would have sent a powerful message to Washington," noted a European defense specialist.

Ponder the paradox at work at the Paris summit. Multiple European government and other officials, such as NATO and the European Union, are seeking to secure the cooperation of the US administration in protecting the future independence of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the expansionist land claims of an external actor (Moscow), just after the US has entered sovereign Venezuela militarily, arresting its head of state, while also still actively undermining the sovereignty of another EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To compound the situation – Denmark and the US are both members of the military bloc NATO. They are, according to Danish officials, extremely close allies. Previously, they were considered so.

The dilemma is, should Trump make good on his desire to bring Greenland under US control, would it mark not just an severe risk to NATO but also a major problem for the EU?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Overlooked

This is far from the first instance President Trump has expressed his intention to control Greenland. He's floated the idea of acquiring it in the past. He's also not excluded a military seizure.

He insisted that the territory is "crucially located right now, it is covered with foreign vessels all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the vantage point of strategic interests and Copenhagen is not going to be able to handle it".

Copenhagen strongly denies that claim. It not long ago vowed to spend $4bn in Arctic security for boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a treaty, the US maintains a strategic outpost presently on the island – founded at the start of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the total of personnel there from about 10,000 during the height of that era to about 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of overlooking polar defense, until now.

Copenhagen has indicated it is amenable to dialogue about a bigger US footprint on the island and further cooperation but faced with the US President's warning of going it alone, the Danish PM said on Monday that the US leader's goal to control Greenland should be considered a real possibility.

Following the Washington's moves in Venezuela this past few days, her fellow leaders across Europe are heeding that warning.

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