ReutersFrance said the European Union will not allow other countries to attack its “sovereign borders”, after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out using military force to seize Greenland.
Trump on Tuesday reiterated his desire to acquire the autonomous Danish territory, saying it was “critical” to national and economic security.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French radio, “It is clear that there is no doubt that the European Union will allow other countries in the world to attack its sovereign borders, whatever they may be.”
Barrow said he did not believe the United States would invade the vast Arctic island, but was clear that the European Union should not allow itself to be intimidated.
Denmark, a long-time US ally, has repeatedly made clear that Greenland is not for sale and belongs to its residents.
Greenland's Prime Minister, Miot Egedy, is pushing for independence and has also made it clear that the region is not for sale. He was visiting Copenhagen on Wednesday.
Trump made the remarks during a press conference held at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, less than two weeks before he was sworn in for his second term as president.
Asked if he ruled out using military or economic force to take control of Greenland or the Panama Canal, Trump said: “No, I can't assure you about either of those things.
“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 of strategic importance to Washington.
Trump noted that the island is important for military efforts to track Chinese and Russian ships, which he said are “everywhere.”
“I'm talking about protecting the free world,” he told reporters.
“If you ask me whether I think the United States will invade Greenland, my answer is no,” Barrow told France Inter radio.
He asked, “Have we entered an era that is witnessing the return of survival of the fittest? The answer is yes.”
“So, should we allow ourselves to be afraid and overcome with anxiety, clearly not. We must wake up and build our strength.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish television on Tuesday that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders” and that only the locals can determine its future.
However, she stressed that Denmark needs close cooperation with the United States, a NATO ally.
ReutersGreenland, with a population of just 57,000 people, enjoys broad autonomy, but its economy depends largely on subsidies from Copenhagen, and it remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
It also contains some of the largest deposits of rare earth minerals, which are essential in the manufacture of batteries and high-tech devices.
Stephen Kretz, chief international correspondent for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, who was reporting in Greenland's capital Nuuk, said most people he spoke to were “shocked” by Trump's suggestion that he might use military force to take control of the region.
While the majority of people in Greenland hope for independence in the future, he said there is widespread recognition that it needs a partner that can provide public services, defense and an economic foundation, as Denmark does now.
“I have yet to meet a person in Greenland who dreams of the island becoming a colony of another outside power like the United States of America.”
Kretz told the BBC that while the Danish government sought to “downplay” any confrontation with Trump, “but behind the scenes I feel an awareness that this conflict has the potential to be Denmark's biggest international crisis in modern history.”
The president-elect's son, Donald Trump Jr., made a brief visit to Greenland on Tuesday, in what he described as a “personal day trip” to talk to people.
He then posted a photo with a group of Greenlanders at a bar wearing pro-Trump hats.
