BERLIN (Reuters) – European Union military official Robert Praeger said it would make sense to station troops from European Union countries in Greenland, according to an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag on Saturday, as U.S. President Donald Trump expressed interest in Obtaining Danish lands.
“From my point of view, it would be quite logical not only to station US forces in Greenland, as has been the case until now, but also to think about developing EU soldiers there in the future,” the head of the EU Military Committee said.
Ultimately, the Austrian-born general said, the move required a political decision. The Military Committee is the highest military office of the European Council, but it acts as an advisory body because the bloc does not have a dedicated army.
The US-led NATO is the European Union's main military alliance.
Although Greenland is not part of the European Union as an overseas territory of Denmark, the Europeans, as well as the United States, have interests in Greenland, citing its raw materials and strategic location.
“However, as ice melts increase as a result of climate change, this also creates a certain potential for tension with Russia and possibly China,” he said.
Trump has expressed interest in making Greenland, an independent region of Denmark, part of the United States. He did not rule out using military or economic force to persuade Denmark to hand over.
Greenland's strategic location along the shortest route from Europe to North America, which is vital to the US ballistic missile warning system, has made it a priority for Trump.
Praeger said he hopes the United States as a member of the United Nations will respect the inalienability of borders as defined in the UN Charter.
