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Earlier today, a informal Coalition of the Committed, mostly composed of EU leaders, gathered in the French capital with representatives of US President Donald Trump, aiming to secure more headway on a durable settlement for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a plan to conclude the war with Russia is "largely complete", no-one in that meeting wished to endanger maintaining the Americans onboard.

Yet, there was an enormous glaring omission in that impressive and sparkling summit, and the fundamental atmosphere was extremely tense.

Recall the actions of the last few days: the Trump administration's contentious incursion in the South American nation and the US president's insistence following this, that "we need Greenland from the viewpoint of national security".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's greatest island – it's 600% the size of Germany. It lies in the Arctic but is an semi-independent territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.

At the conference, Mette Frederiksen, Copenhagen's leader, was seated across from two key figures representing Trump: emissary Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

She was subject to urging from European counterparts not to antagonising the US over the Arctic question, in case that impacts US support for the Ukrainian cause.

EU heads of state would have far preferred to keep the Arctic dispute and the debate on Ukraine distinct. But with the tensions escalating from Washington and Copenhagen, leaders of big EU countries at the talks issued a declaration stating: "The island is part of the alliance. Security in the Arctic must therefore be secured jointly, in conjunction with NATO allies such as the US".

"It is for Copenhagen and the Greenlandic authorities, and them only, to determine on issues concerning the kingdom and Greenland," the declaration further stated.

The announcement was welcomed by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics say it was tardy to be put together and, owing to the small group of supporters to the declaration, it failed to project a Europe united in intent.

"If there had been a common position from all 27 member states, along with NATO ally the UK, in backing of Copenhagen's authority, that would have sent a strong message to Washington," stated a European defense expert.

Consider the contradiction at play at the France meeting. Multiple European national and other leaders, including the alliance and the EU, are attempting to engage the US administration in safeguarding the future sovereignty of a continental state (the Eastern European nation) against the expansionist geopolitical designs of an external actor (Russia), just after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela militarily, arresting its head of state, while also continuing to openly threatening the autonomy of a further continental ally (Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both participants of the defensive pact NATO. They are, in the view of Copenhagen, profoundly close allies. Or were.

The question is, should Trump act upon his ambition to assert control over the island, would it constitute not just an fundamental challenge to the alliance but also a significant challenge for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Overlooked

This is not the first time President Trump has voiced his intention to dominate the Arctic island. He's floated the idea of acquiring it in the past. He's also refused to rule out forcible annexation.

Recently that the landmass is "crucially located right now, it is covered with foreign vessels all over the place. We need Greenland from the perspective of strategic interests and Denmark is unable to provide security".

Denmark strongly denies that last statement. It not long ago pledged to invest $4bn in the island's defense for boats, drones and aircraft.

As per a bilateral agreement, the US has a defense installation currently on the island – set up at the beginning of the Cold War. It has scaled down the figure of troops there from about 10,000 during the height of that era to approximately 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of neglecting polar defense, until now.

Copenhagen has signaled it is open to discussion about a expanded US presence on the island and more but confronted by the US President's warning of unilateral action, the Danish PM said on Monday that Washington's desire to control Greenland should be taken seriously.

In the wake of the Washington's moves in Venezuela this past few days, her fellow leaders throughout Europe are doing just that.

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