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Earlier today, a informal Group of the Committed, mostly consisting of EU leaders, convened in the French capital with delegates of the Trump administration, hoping to achieve further headway on a sustainable peace agreement for the embattled nation.

With President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a framework to halt the war with Russia is "nearly finalized", nobody in that gathering wished to endanger retaining the Americans engaged.

Yet, there was an enormous glaring omission in that opulent and glittering summit, and the fundamental mood was profoundly uneasy.

Recall the developments of the recent days: the US administration's contentious involvement in Venezuela and the American leader's assertion shortly thereafter, that "it is essential to have Greenland from the viewpoint of defense".

The vast Arctic territory is the world's biggest island – it's 600% the dimensions of Germany. It lies in the far north but is an autonomous possession of Copenhagen.

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

She was facing pressure from her EU allies to avoid antagonising the US over the Arctic question, lest that affects US support for the Ukrainian cause.

Europe's leaders would have greatly desired to compartmentalize the Arctic dispute and the negotiations on Ukraine apart. But with the political temperature rising from Washington and Copenhagen, leaders of leading EU countries at the Paris meeting put out a declaration saying: "Greenland is part of the alliance. Stability in the Arctic must therefore be attained collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States".

"The decision is for Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities, and no one else, to determine on issues related to the kingdom and Greenland," the communiqué continued.

The statement was greeted by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but critics say it was delayed to be put together and, because of the restricted set of endorsers to the statement, it did not manage to demonstrate a European Union aligned in intent.

"Were there a common declaration from all 27 European Union countries, in addition to NATO ally the UK, in defense of Copenhagen's authority, that would have sent a strong warning to the US," stated a European defense analyst.

Ponder the irony at work at the Paris summit. Multiple EU government and other leaders, such as NATO and the European Union, are seeking to secure the cooperation of the Trump administration in guaranteeing the future autonomy of a EU nation (Ukraine) against the expansionist geopolitical designs of an external actor (Russia), immediately after the US has intervened in independent Venezuela with force, taking its president into custody, while also persistently actively challenging the territorial integrity of another European nation (Denmark).

To compound the situation – Copenhagen and the US are both signatories of the military bloc the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, as stated by Danish officials, profoundly strong partners. Previously, they were considered so.

The issue is, were Trump to fulfill his goal to assert control over the island, would it represent not just an fundamental challenge to NATO but also a significant challenge for the European Union?

Europe Faces the Danger of Being Marginalized

This is not an isolated incident President Trump has expressed his intention to acquire the Arctic island. He's suggested buying it in the past. He's also not excluded a military seizure.

Recently that the landmass is "vitally important right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the vantage point of strategic interests and Copenhagen is not going to be able to handle it".

Copenhagen contests that claim. It has lately committed to invest $4bn in Arctic security encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.

Under a treaty, the US has a military base currently on Greenland – set up at the beginning of the Cold War. It has cut the total of staff there from about 10,000 during peak the confrontation to approximately 200 and the US has frequently been criticized of overlooking polar defense, up to this point.

Denmark has suggested it is open to discussion about a larger US role on the territory and additional measures but faced with the US President's threat of independent moves, the Danish PM said on Monday that Trump's ambition to acquire Greenland should be treated with gravity.

After the US administration's actions in Venezuela this weekend, her fellow leaders throughout Europe are doing just that.

"The current crisis has just underlined – once again – the EU's basic weakness {