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Earlier today, a informal Group of the Willing, mostly made up of EU heads of state, met in the French capital with representatives of US President Donald Trump, aiming to make more headway on a lasting settlement for Ukraine.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a plan to end the conflict with Russia is "90% of the way there", not a single person in that room desired to jeopardise maintaining the US engaged.

Yet, there was an enormous elephant in the room in that grand and luxurious gathering, and the fundamental atmosphere was exceptionally tense.

Recall the actions of the past week: the Trump administration's divisive incursion in Venezuela and the US president's insistence following this, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the standpoint of national security".

This massive island is the world's largest island – it's six times the dimensions of Germany. It is situated in the far north but is an self-governing territory of Copenhagen.

At the summit, Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, was sitting opposite two influential personalities representing Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

She was under pressure from her EU counterparts to avoid alienating the US over Greenland, in case that affects US support for the Ukrainian cause.

Europe's leaders would have much rather to separate Greenland and the debate on Ukraine separate. But with the tensions mounting from Washington and Copenhagen, leaders of big EU countries at the talks issued a declaration asserting: "The island is part of the alliance. Security in the North must therefore be achieved together, in cooperation with treaty partners including the America".

"It is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and them only, to rule on matters regarding the kingdom and its autonomous territory," the communiqué further stated.

The communique was welcomed by Nuuk's head of government, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics say it was slow to be put together and, because of the limited number of supporters to the statement, it did not manage to project a European Union united in purpose.

"Had there been a common position from all 27 European Union countries, in addition to alliance partner the UK, in support of Copenhagen's authority, that would have sent a resounding signal to America," stated a European defense analyst.

Consider the irony at work at the France meeting. Numerous EU national and other officials, from the alliance and the European Union, are trying to engage the US administration in protecting the future autonomy of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the hostile geopolitical designs of an outside force (Moscow), just after the US has intervened in sovereign Venezuela with force, arresting its head of state, while also persistently publicly undermining the sovereignty of a different EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).

To make matters even more stark – Denmark and the US are both signatories of the military bloc NATO. They are, in the view of Danish officials, profoundly close allies. Or were.

The dilemma is, if Trump were to act upon his desire to acquire Greenland, would it constitute not just an existential threat to the alliance but also a profound crisis for the EU?

Europe Risks Being Marginalized

This is not an isolated incident Trump has expressed his determination to control Greenland. He's suggested acquiring it in the past. He's also not excluded a military seizure.

Recently that the island is "vitally important right now, it is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. It is imperative to have Greenland from the vantage point of national security and Denmark is unable to handle it".

Denmark refutes that assertion. It has lately vowed to invest $4bn in the island's defense encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

Under a treaty, the US has a defense installation currently on the island – founded at the beginning of the Cold War. It has cut the number of staff there from about 10,000 during the height of that era to about 200 and the US has long been accused of taking its eye off polar defense, recently.

Copenhagen has signaled it is open to discussion about a expanded US role on the island and more but in light of the US President's assertion of independent moves, 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 past few days, her counterparts across Europe are taking it seriously.

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