Earlier today, a so-called Alliance of the Determined, largely made up of European leaders, convened in the French capital with delegates of President Trump, attempting to make additional advances on a durable settlement for the embattled nation.
With President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting that a plan to halt the conflict with Russia is "90% of the way there", nobody in that room wished to risk keeping the US engaged.
Yet, there was an enormous glaring omission in that grand and glittering gathering, and the prevailing tension was extremely uneasy.
Recall the developments of the last few days: the White House's controversial involvement in Venezuela and the US president's insistence following this, 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 area of Germany. It is situated in the far north but is an semi-independent possession of Denmark's.
At the Paris meeting, Mette Frederiksen, Copenhagen's leader, was positioned across from two influential individuals representing Trump: emissary Steve Witkoff and Trump's relative Jared Kushner.
She was subject to urging from her EU colleagues to refrain from alienating the US over Greenland, for fear that that impacts US support for the Ukrainian cause.
EU heads of state would have greatly desired to compartmentalize the Arctic dispute and the debate on the war separate. But with the tensions rising from the White House and Denmark, leaders of leading EU countries at the talks released a communiqué saying: "The island is part of NATO. Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved together, in conjunction with NATO allies including the US".
"Sovereignty is for Copenhagen and Greenland, and them only, to decide on affairs concerning the kingdom and Greenland," the statement added.
The announcement was welcomed by Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, but analysts contend it was delayed to be formulated and, owing to the limited group of signatories to the statement, it failed to project a Europe in agreement in objective.
"Had there been a unified position from all 27 European Union countries, plus NATO ally the UK, in defense of Copenhagen's sovereignty, that would have sent a resounding message to America," noted a EU foreign policy analyst.
Consider the paradox at play at the Paris summit. Multiple European government and other officials, including the alliance and the EU, are seeking to secure the cooperation of the Trump administration in guaranteeing the future autonomy of a continental state (the Eastern European nation) against the expansionist land claims of an foreign power (Russia), on the heels of the US has swooped into independent Venezuela militarily, detaining its leader, while also still actively challenging the sovereignty of another EU member (the Kingdom of Denmark).
To add to the complexity – Denmark and the US are both members of the defensive pact the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are, as stated by Copenhagen, exceptionally close allies. Or were.
The dilemma is, should Trump fulfill his goal to bring Greenland under US control, would it mark not just an severe risk to NATO but also a profound challenge for the EU?
Europe Faces the Danger of Being Trampled Underfoot
This is not the first time Trump has voiced his determination to control Greenland. He's proposed purchasing it in the past. He's also not excluded taking it by force.
He insisted that the island is "crucially located right now, Greenland is patrolled by foreign naval assets all over the place. We need Greenland from the vantage point of national security and Copenhagen is unable to do it".
Copenhagen contests that assertion. It not long ago pledged to spend $4bn in Greenland defence encompassing boats, drones and aircraft.
Pursuant to a treaty, the US operates a military base already on the island – founded at the start of the East-West standoff. It has scaled down the number of troops there from about 10,000 during the height of Cold War operations to approximately 200 and the US has long been accused of overlooking Arctic Security, recently.
Denmark has suggested it is willing to talk about a expanded US role on the island and additional measures but confronted by the US President's threat of unilateral action, the Danish PM said on Monday that Trump's ambition to take Greenland should be considered a real possibility.
In the wake of the American intervention in Venezuela this weekend, her fellow leaders across Europe are taking it seriously.
"These developments has just highlighted – once again – the EU's basic shortcoming {
