The European Union fully supports Denmark regarding Donald Trump's threats to annex Greenland to the United States and is ready to defend the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. This was stated by the President of the European Council, António Costa, in an interview with Euronews, as reported by Tengrinews.kz.
He pointed to the position the EU has taken since the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"It is these fundamental principles that compel us to support Ukraine. It is these principles that drive us to condemn violations of borders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We must not cease to defend these principles when the territorial integrity of an EU member state is at stake," Costa said.
"The territorial integrity of Denmark, the sovereignty of Denmark, the stability of its borders are, for us, undoubtedly a matter of utmost importance," the President of the European Council concluded.
Although Greenland is not an EU member, it has access to its funds, Greenlanders enjoy freedom of movement within the community, and are considered citizens of the European Union. The European Commission confirmed that in the event of military aggression against Greenland, the mutual defense clause outlined in treaties would apply.
"Greenland is part of the territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Denmark is a sovereign state. Denmark determines its interests, and the European Union will support it," Costa said, emphasizing the necessity of adhering to international law.
"We are not going to speculate. We naturally hope that this dispute does not escalate into a conflict, and if a conflict does arise, it will be resolved amicably, as is befitting of allies," the interviewee added.
Meanwhile, a survey showed that 85 percent of adult Greenlanders opposed the American leader's plans to annex the island to the United States.
On December 22, Trump stated that the U.S. "considers ownership and control of Greenland to be an absolute necessity" in terms of "ensuring national security and freedom worldwide." He did not rule out the use of military force to establish control over the island.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is currently seeking support from EU countries in response to the unprecedented challenge posed by Trump. Frederiksen stated that she is open to strengthening military cooperation with the U.S. but insists that the semi-autonomous island, part of the Danish Kingdom, is not for sale.
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