ReutersFrance 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 the use of military force to seize Greenland.
On Tuesday, Trump reiterated his desire to acquire the autonomous Danish territory, saying it was “critical” to national and economic security.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barot told French radio that “there is obviously no doubt that the European Union would allow other nations in the world to attack its sovereign borders, whatever they may be.”
Barro said he did not believe the US would invade the vast Arctic island, but was clear the EU should not be intimidated.
Denmark, a longtime US ally, has repeatedly made it clear that Greenland is not for sale and that it belongs to its people.
Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede is pushing for independence and has also made it clear the territory is not for sale. He was visiting Copenhagen on Wednesday.
Trump made the remarks at a casual press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, less than two weeks before he is sworn in for a second term as president.
Asked if he ruled out using military or economic force to seize Greenland or the Panama Canal, Trump said: “No, I can't assure you of 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 to Washington.
Trump has suggested the island is crucial to military efforts to track Chinese and Russian ships, which he says are “all over the place.”
“I'm talking about protecting the free world,” he told reporters.
Speaking to France Inter radio, Barro said: “If you ask me if I think the United States will invade Greenland, my answer is no.
“Have we entered an era where survival of the fittest is making a comeback? Then the answer is yes.
“So we should allow ourselves to be frightened and beset with anxiety, obviously not. We have to wake up, build our strength.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish television on Tuesday that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders” and that only the local population can determine its future.
However, she stressed that Denmark needs close cooperation with the US, a NATO ally.
ReutersGreenland, which is the world's largest island but has a population of just 57,000, has broad autonomy, although its economy is largely dependent on subsidies from Copenhagen and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
It also has some of the largest deposits of rare earth minerals, which are critical to the production of batteries and high-tech devices.
Danish Broadcasting Corporation senior international correspondent Steffen Kretz, reporting in the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk, said most of the people he spoke to were “shocked” by Trump's suggestion that he could use military force to take over control over the territory.
While the majority of people in Greenland hoped for independence in the future, he said there was widespread recognition that it needed a partner that could provide public services, defense and an economic base, as Denmark has now done.
“I have yet to meet a person in Greenland who dreams of the island becoming a colony for another outside power like the United States.”
Kretz told the BBC that while the Danish government had tried to “downplay” any confrontation with Trump, “behind the scenes I sense the realization 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, which he described as a “personal day trip” to talk to people.
He then posted a photo with a group of Greenlanders in a bar wearing pro-Trump hats.