French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrow (pictured January 3, 2025) said the European Union would not tolerate attacks on its territory after Donald Trump called on the United States to take control of Greenland.
Omar Haji Kadour | AFP | Getty Images
France’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that the European Union would not tolerate attacks on its territory, after President-elect Donald Trump reiterated that bringing Greenland under U.S. control was “necessary.”
in a interview Jean-Noël Barrot said on France Inter radio that the 27 EU member states would never accept any attempt to attack EU territory.
Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, making it an Overseas Country and Territory (OCT) associated with the European Union.
“There is no doubt that the European Union will allow another country in the world, no matter who it is – I would even say, starting with Russia – to attack its sovereign borders,” Barrot said, according to CNBC. “We are one. A strong continent, we need to further strengthen ourselves.”
CNBC has contacted the EU for comment.
Barrow added that he did not believe Washington would launch a physical attack on Greenland.
“If you ask me if I think the United States will invade Greenland, the answer is no,” he explained. “But are we entering an era of survival of the fittest? The answer is yes.”
Also on Wednesday, a German government spokesman said Berlin had taken note of Donald Trump’s comments about Greenland.
They said at a regular press conference: “As always, the glorious principles of the United Nations Charter and the Helsinki Accords apply, that is, the borders must not be moved by force.” Germany stated that after Trump’s statement, the borders must not be moved by force.
While France and Germany have made clear their opposition to Denmark ceding Greenland to the United States, there is one country in the region that appears to support the elected president. In Russia, Trump’s stance on Greenland has received positive media coverage, with pro-Kremlin commentators saying it confirms Moscow’s alleged “special military operations” in Ukraine.
French and German comments are in Meeting Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede holds talks with the Danish King in Copenhagen, scheduled for 2 pm Danish time. No agenda for the talks was provided, but the meeting took place in the same week as King Frederick updated his speech royal coat of arms Includes details representing Greenland.
The changes come after the incoming US president renewed calls for the United States to bring Greenland, an Arctic island with a population of more than 56,000 people, under US control.
Last month, Trump said on his “Truth Society” platform that Greenland’s “ownership” was vital to U.S. national and economic security. In 2019, during his first term as president, he first floated the idea of buying Greenland from Denmark, but the idea was firmly rebuffed by the territory’s leadership.
The leaders of Denmark and Greenland again rejected the idea that the island could join the United States under a second Trump administration, with Egede repeating last month that “we are not selling.”
But that hasn’t stopped Trump from pursuing the territory. The president-elect has threatened to use economic power to pursue his repeated calls for takeovers, while his son, Donald Trump Jr., has threatened to use economic power to pursue his acquisition target. Landing on the island An informal visit to China on Tuesday.
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