France has said the European Union will not allow other nations to attack its “sovereign borders”, after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out using military force to seize Greenland.
On Tuesday, Trump reiterated his desire to acquire the autonomous Danish territory, saying it was “critical” for national and economic security.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told French radio “There is obviously no question that the European Union would let other nations of the world attack its sovereign borders, whoever they are”.
Barrot said he did not believe the US was going to invade the vast Arctic Island, but he was clear the EU should not let itself be intimidated.
It is difficult to imagine how the European Union might prevent any potential attack. The EU has no defensive capabilities of its own and most of its 27 member states are part of the US-led Nato alliance.
Trump has repeatedly expressed an interest in buying Greenland, having mooted the idea during his first term as president.
Denmark, a long-time US ally, has made clear that Greenland is not for sale and that it belongs to its inhabitants.
Greenland’s prime minister, Mute Egede, is pushing for independence and has also made clear the territory is not for sale. He was visiting Copenhagen on Wednesday.
Trump made the remarks at a free-wheeling news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, less than two weeks before he is sworn in for his second term as president on 20 January.
Asked if he would rule out using military or economic force in order to take over Greenland or the Panama Canal, Trump said: “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two.
“But I can say this, we need them for economic security.”
Greenland has been home to a US radar base since the Cold War and has long been strategically important for Washington.
Trump suggested the island was crucial to military efforts to track Chinese and Russian ships, which he said are “all over the place”.
“I’m talking about protecting the free world,” he told reporters.
Speaking to France Inter radio, Barrot said: “If you’re asking me whether I think the United States will invade Greenland, my answer is no.
“Have we entered into an era that sees the return of the survival of the fittest? Then the answer is yes.
“So, should we allow ourselves to be intimidated and overcome with worry, clearly not. We must wake up, build up our strength.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish TV on Tuesday that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders” and that only the local population could determine its future.
However, she stressed Denmark needed close co-operation with the US, a Nato ally.
