Trump's Greenland ambitions stir EU sovereignty concerns
Jean-Noel Barrot, the head of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the European Union will not allow its borders to be violated. He referred to the recent remarks of President-elect Donald Trump.
- There is obviously no question that the European Union would let other nations of the world attack its sovereign borders, whoever they are. We are a strong continent, assured Barrot.
For several days, Donald Trump has been repeating that the United States needs Greenland "for national security reasons."
During a Tuesday conference at his estate in Florida, he was asked whether he could ensure that he would not use force to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal.
- No, I can't assure you on either of those two [Greenland or Panama Canal -ed.] But I can say this: we need them for economic security, said Trump. When asked again whether he would commit to refraining from the use of force, he replied that he could not do that. He further suggested that taking action might be necessary.
Speaking about Greenland, Trump said that America needs the world's largest island "for national security reasons" and added that Denmark's rights to it are not certain.
Trump argued that even if Denmark holds claims, they should relinquish them for the sake of national security and the protection of the free world. He pointed out the presence of Chinese and Russian ships as a visible threat and stated that such activity would not be tolerated. Additionally, he warned that if Denmark refused to cooperate, he might respond by imposing significant tariffs.
Another attempt by the USA to acquire Greenland
He added that the Greenlanders themselves would most likely vote for independence or joining the USA. During his first term, Trump tried to buy Greenland, which was met with refusal from the authorities of Denmark and Greenland. This idea was considered a joke, although, according to then-reports by the "Wall Street Journal," Trump returned to the topic several times "with varying levels of seriousness."
Trump is not the first US president interested in purchasing Greenland. This proposal was made as early as 1867 during President Andrew Johnson's term (it was under his administration that the USA purchased Alaska from Russia - editor's note). Another proposal in this matter was made by President Harry Truman after World War II. Both proposals were rejected.
