French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot Photo :Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
The European Union and Denmark have responded strongly to statements by US President-elect Donald Trump about the possible use of military force to take control of Greenland. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stressed that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders”, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the EU was ready to defend its sovereign borders, The Guardian reports.
The European response: “We are a strong continent”
In response to Trump’s threats, Jean-Noël Barrot said that the EU would not allow its borders to be attacked:
“We have entered a time when only the strongest will survive. Europe should not be afraid, but should be strengthened.”
Denmark’s reaction: “Greenland is not for sale”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has once again rejected the idea of selling Greenland, which she had already called “absurd” in 2019. She stressed the island’s autonomy, noting that the decision on its future belongs to the Greenlanders:
“Greenland belongs to Greenlanders, and their future should be shaped in Nuuk.”
Trump’s statements: US strategic interests
At a press conference in Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump said that Greenland and the Panama Canal are “vital to the economic security of the United States”. He did not rule out military or economic pressure if Denmark refuses his offer.
The strategic importance of Greenland
Greenland, the largest island in the world, has rich mineral resources and a strategically important location in the Arctic. There is already a US military base there. Denmark retains control over the island’s foreign policy and defence, but Greenland has had an autonomous status with its own parliament since 1979.
Growing pro-independence sentiment
The independence movement is growing in Greenland. According to an agreement with Denmark, the autonomous region can only declare independence through a referendum. Greenlandic Prime Minister Muthe Egede has hinted at the possibility of such a scenario, emphasising the island’s right to determine its future.
The situation around Greenland demonstrates the intensification of geopolitical rivalry in the Arctic. The EU and Denmark are determined to defend their interests, and Greenland may become a key field of struggle for influence between world powers.
