Denmark, France and Germany respond to Trump sizing up Greenland

Donald Trump's comments about taking control of Greenland have prompted France to warn Washington against threatening the "sovereign borders" of the European Union.

In a Tuesday news conference, the U.S. president-elect refused to rule out military intervention over the Panama Canal and Greenland, both of which he has said wants the U.S. to control. Greenland is an autonomous territory of EU member Denmark. 

On Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warned "There is obviously no question that the European Union would let other nations of the world attack its sovereign borders, whoever they are." 

"We are a strong continent," said Barrot, who added "We need to strengthen ourselves more… We have entered an era that is seeing the return of the survival of the fittest.

"Should we be intimidated? Should we be overcome with worry? Evidently, no," he said, but added "We need to wake up and reinforce ourselves, militarily, in competition, in a world where the law of the strongest prevails."

A German government spokesman said Berlin stands by the international principle that borders not be changed by force. NATO did not respond on Wednesday to a request for comments on Trump's remarks. Greenland, which has just 57,000 people but is more than 2 million square km in size and is rich in oil and minerals, is not part of the EU but it is of NATO through its links with Denmark.

France's Barrot said he did not believe the U.S. would invade the vast Arctic island, insisting that the United States is "inherently not imperialistic" and that he "did not believe" that it is changing.

Trump, who officially becomes president again on January 20th, has been speaking on a variety of issues regarding the geography of North and Central America. He declared "We need Greenland for national security purposes," claimed the Panama Canal is "being operated by China," suggested Canada become the 51st state of the U.S. and declared "We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America."

Ambassador Daniel Fried, a retired U.S. diplomat now with the Atlantic Council think tank, said Trump's latest comments painted a picture of national power as territorial expansion and compared him to a "19th century imperialist."

Seizing Greenland, Fried said, "would destroy NATO, because it would make us no different than Vladimir Putin."

Greenland PM meets Danish king 

Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede, leader of a left-wing political party that supports future independence from Denmark, was due to meet King Frederik in Copenhagen later on Wednesday. The royal court gave no details on their planned meeting.

While many Greenlanders dream of independence from their former colonial ruler, the king still enjoys a large measure of popularity, having spent extended periods of time in Greenland, including a four-month expedition on the ice sheet.

The royal court recently tweaked the coat of arms to more prominently display symbols of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, a move widely interpreted as underlining the royal family's relationship with Greenland.

Greenland now controls most of its own domestic affairs as a semi-sovereign territory under the Danish realm. Its relations with Denmark have lately been strained by allegations of colonial-era mistreatment of Greenlanders.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday she could not imagine Trump's ambitions would lead to U.S. military intervention in Greenland. Denmark is responsible for the security and defense of Greenland, but its military capabilities there are limited to four inspection vessels, a Challenger surveillance plane, and dog sled patrols.

Trump suggested he would impose tariffs on Denmark if it resists his offer to purchase Greenland, which he said is vital to U.S. national security. 

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded that "I don't think it's a good way forward to fight each other with financial means when we are close allies and partners." Denmark is home to Novo Nordisk, Europe's most valuable company, whose weight-loss drug Wegovy has become hugely popular in the United States.

Greenland's Egede has said the island is not for sale, while in his New Year speech he stepped up his push for independence. Denmark also says the territory is not for sale, and that its fate can be decided only by Greenlanders.

"While others, including Danes and Americans, are entitled to their opinions, we should not be caught up in the hysteria and let external pressures distract us from our path," Egede said. 

The U.S.-Denmark-Greenland triangle

Trump already raised the issue of the U.S. taking over Greenland in 2019 during his first presidency, but his offer to buy the island was rejected by both Denmark and Greenland. 

Shortly after World War II, when Greenland was still a Danish colony, the United States sought to buy the island as a strategic asset, offering $100 million in gold plus the rights to an Alaskan oilfield, but Copenhagen declined to sell.

The island, a former colony of Denmark, became a formal territory of the Nordic kingdom in 1953 and is subject to the Danish constitution, meaning that any change to its legal status would require a constitutional amendment. 

In 2009, the island was granted broad self-governing autonomy, including the right to declare independence from Denmark through a referendum. Last week, Egede urged the people of Greenland to break free from "the shackles of colonialism" and shape their own future.

If Greenland becomes independent, it could choose to become associated with the United States. While the majority of Greenlanders want independence, few see full independence as viable given their economic dependence on Denmark.

One option could be to form a so-called "free association" pact with the United States, similar to the status of Pacific island nations Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau.

"Greenland is talking about becoming independent from Denmark, but no Greenlanders want to just switch to a new colonial master," said Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior researcher and expert on Greenland at the Danish Institute for International Studies. He finds it unlikely Greenland will vote for independence without ensuring the welfare of its population.