Wed Jan 08 19:34:49 UTC 2025: ## Germany and France Condemn Trump’s Greenland Seizure Threat

**Copenhagen/Berlin/Paris** – Germany and France have sharply criticized comments by [the then] US President-elect Donald Trump suggesting he might use military force or economic tariffs to seize Greenland from Denmark. Chancellor Olaf Scholz issued a televised statement declaring the inviolability of borders, emphasizing that this principle applies to all nations regardless of size or power. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot echoed this sentiment, asserting Europe’s commitment to defending international law and warning against a return to “the law of the strongest.”

Trump’s comments, made during a press conference, included threats to potentially use force to acquire both Greenland and the Panama Canal, as well as applying “economic force” to annex Canada. His son, Donald Trump Jr., visited Greenland on Tuesday, fueling speculation and further inflaming the situation. Trump Jr. suggested that Greenlanders felt exploited by Denmark and that the island’s resources were not being properly utilized.

Denmark, while rejecting any threat of force, expressed openness to dialogue with the US to address legitimate security concerns. Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen downplayed the likelihood of Greenland becoming part of the US, highlighting Greenland’s own aspirations for independence. Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte B Egede reiterated that Greenland is “not for sale,” while acknowledging the increasingly serious nature of Trump’s threats. Upcoming local elections in Greenland could serve as a referendum on the island’s constitutional future and independence.

The US maintains a military base in Greenland, Pituffik, crucial for monitoring Russian activity in the Arctic. The melting Arctic ice and the potential for new trade routes have significantly increased the region’s geopolitical importance. Germany, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine, underscored its commitment to defending national sovereignty and its increased defence spending. Danish officials hope to de-escalate the situation through talks with US officials regarding existing security agreements.

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