ReutersFrance says the European Union will not allow other countries to attack its “sovereign borders” after US President-elect Donald Trump did not rule out using military force to seize Greenland.
On Tuesday, President Trump reiterated his desire to acquire autonomous Denmark, calling it “critically important” to national and economic security.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrault told French radio: “There is clearly no question that the European Union will allow other countries of the world to attack its sovereign borders, no matter who they are.” .
Mr Barot said he did not believe the US was trying to invade the vast Arctic island, but said it was clear the EU should not be intimidated.
It is difficult to imagine how the European Union could prevent a potential attack. The EU has no defense capabilities of its own, and most of its 27 members are members of the US-led NATO alliance.
Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in buying Greenland and discussed the idea during his first term as president.
Denmark, a long-time ally of the United States, has made it clear that Greenland is not for sale, but belongs to its people.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede is pushing for independence and has made it clear that the territory is not for sale. He was visiting Copenhagen on Wednesday.
President Trump made the remarks during a freewheeling press conference at his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, residence less than two weeks before he was inaugurated for his second term as president on January 20.
Asked if he would rule out using military or economic force to seize Greenland or the Panama Canal, Trump said, “No, I can’t guarantee either.”
“But I can tell you this: We need them for our economic security.”
Greenland has long been a location of strategic importance to the U.S. government, having been home to a U.S. radar base since the Cold War.
President Trump suggested the island was critical to military efforts to track Chinese and Russian ships, saying they were “all over the place.”
“I’m talking about defending the free world,” he told reporters.
“If you ask me if I think the United States will invade Greenland, my answer is no,” Barot said in an interview with France Inter Radio.
“Are we back in the days of survival of the fittest? In that case, the answer is yes.
“So should we allow ourselves to be intimidated or overcome by worry? Obviously not. We must wake up and gather our strength.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish television on Tuesday that “Greenland belongs to Greenlanders” and only local residents can decide its future.
However, Denmark stressed the need for close cooperation with the United States, a NATO ally.
Greenlandic lawmaker Kuno Fenker told the BBC that residents were bracing for Trump’s “bold statements” but that Greenland’s “sovereignty and self-determination are non-negotiable.”
Fenker, whose Sium party is part of the Greenland coalition government, said local authorities welcomed “constructive dialogue and mutually beneficial partnerships with the United States and other countries.”
He did not rule out the possibility of a free association involving both Denmark and the United States, but said: “This is a decision that must be taken by the people of Greenland, not by one politician.”
ReutersGreenland has a population of just 57,000 people and has extensive autonomy, but its economy relies primarily on subsidies from Copenhagen and it remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
It also has some of the largest deposits of rare earth minerals, which are essential for making batteries and high-tech equipment.
Stephen Kretz, a senior international correspondent for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, reporting from Greenland’s capital Nuuk, said he and Trump were not satisfied with Trump’s suggestion that he might use military force to seize territory. Most of the people I spoke to said they were “shocked.”
Although the majority of Greenlanders want independence in the future, there is a widespread recognition that they need a partner like Denmark who can provide public services, defense and economic infrastructure, he said.
“I have yet to meet anyone in Greenland who dreams of the island becoming a colony of an outside power like the United States.”
Kretz told the BBC that while the Danish government had tried to “downplay” the conflict with Trump, “there was a sense behind the scenes that this conflict could become Denmark’s biggest international crisis in modern history.” “There is,” he said.
The president-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr., made a brief visit to Greenland on Tuesday as a “personal day trip” to talk to people.
He later posted a photo of himself at a bar with a group of Greenlanders wearing pro-Trump hats.
