Previously, Danish PM Frederiksen called for calm and downplayed the credibility of his remarks.

On Wednesday, the European Commission (EC) and Germany firmly opposed President-elect Donald Trump’s intentions to annex Greenland into the United States. His plans were said to potentially include economic or even military coercion.

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reminded Trump that the inviolability of borders and international law are binding for everyone, including the U.S. government.

“The principle of the inviolability of borders applies to all countries, whether they are in the east or the west. Everyone must comply with it, whether it’s a small country or a very large power,” Scholz emphasized.

Scholz spoke during an extraordinary press conference after discussions with other European leaders about Trump’s statements, which also included regaining control of the Panama Canal and uniting Canada with the U.S.

For its part, the European Commission called for respect for the sovereignty of its member states and stressed that Greenland, an autonomous territory dependent on Denmark, is protected under the collective defense of the European Union (EU).

“We are talking about something extremely theoretical, and we do not want to elaborate further,” EC Spokesperson Paula Pinho said in response to a journalist’s question on the matter. She also requested that the president-elect’s geopolitical aspirations not be compared to events in Ukraine.

Article 42.7 of the EU treaties references the solidarity among member states in defense situations when one of them is under armed attack. Nevertheless, Pinho asserted that many threats never materialize. “At this time, we see no need to go beyond what we have already stated,” she concluded.

Denmark also dismissed suggestions of a crisis with the United States over Trump’s statements. “I do not perceive that we are in a foreign policy crisis,” said Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, emphasizing that his country seeks collaboration, not friction. “I am trying to stick to reality. I think we would all do ourselves a favor if we calmed down a little,” he urged.

The Danish Foreign Minister expressed understanding of Greenland’s “ambitions” but doubted that the territory’s residents wished to become a U.S. state. He also described Washington’s concerns about the Arctic in the context of great power rivalry and global warming as “completely legitimate.”

On Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also called for calm and downplayed the credibility of Trump’s remarks. Currently, the Arctic island has 56,000 inhabitants and spans two million square kilometers, 80% of which are covered by ice.

Since 2009, Greenland has had a new status recognizing its right to self-determination. The United States maintains a military base in northern Greenland under a broad defense agreement signed in 1951.

teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE

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