U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday that Denmark should relinquish its claim to Greenland because U.S. national security “demands it.” He also threatened to impose “very high tariffs” if Denmark did not agree.
Asked to comment on the future US president’s words, EC spokesman Olof Gil said: “We are talking about a very hypothetical issue, a presidency that has not yet begun.”
However, Mr Gill stressed that the European Commission is preparing for all possible scenarios.
“The European Commission stands ready to protect your interests.” Reaction to President Trump’s remarks
“For the past 12 months, we have been working here with a specially appointed team at the EC to prepare for all potential outcomes of the US presidential election, including on trade,” he said.
The spokesperson stressed that the initial scenario was cooperation with the United States. “But our priority is to find as many avenues of cooperation with the new administration as possible that will be beneficial to everyone on both sides of the Atlantic,” he said.
See also: Denmark responds to Trump’s threat. Prime Minister appeals in media
“We stand ready to protect our interests commercially and in other areas as necessary,” Gill said.
However, the EC declined to comment on the fact that President Trump did not rule out an armed occupation of Greenland (and the Panama Canal) on Tuesday. “Many such threats never materialized,” said European Commission spokeswoman Paula Piño.
French Ministry of Defense comments on President Donald Trump’s announcement
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrault also spoke out after the next US president did not rule out using military force to occupy Greenland. He said he did not believe the United States would willingly invade the island. At the same time, he stressed that the European Union (EU) should not be threatened.
In an interview with a French radio station, he said the EU would not tolerate this kind of behavior. “Of course, there is no doubt that the European Union will not allow any other country in the world, whoever it may be, to attack its sovereign borders,” Barot insisted.
However, as the BBC points out, it is unclear how the EU will thwart this potential threat. The alliance does not have its own military and the majority of its members belong to the US-led NATO.
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