BERLIN: A gaggle of European leaders on Tuesday (Jan 6) underlined their help for Denmark after US President Donald Trump once more voiced designs on its autonomous Arctic territory of Greenland.
The leaders of France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain in addition to Denmark stated that sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders have been “common rules, and we is not going to cease defending them”.
Washington’s military intervention in Venezuela has reignited fears about Trump’s designs on Greenland, which has untapped uncommon earth deposits and could possibly be an important participant as polar ice melts, opening up new delivery routes.
Greenland is on the shortest route for missiles between Russia and the US, and Washington already has a army base there.
With the state of affairs in Venezuela extra urgent, Trump quipped on Sunday that “we’ll fear about Greenland in about two months”.
The European leaders’ joint assertion stated: “Arctic safety stays a key precedence for Europe and it’s important for worldwide and transatlantic safety.
“NATO has made clear that the Arctic area is a precedence and European allies are stepping up.
“We and lots of different allies have elevated our presence, actions and investments, to maintain the Arctic protected and to discourage adversaries.”
