Foreign Leaders Issue Warnings After Trump's Refusal to Rule Out Military Force

What Happened?

French and German officials have warned against threats toward Greenland. That follows President-elect Donald Trump's refusal to rule out military force to seize Denmark's territory.

According to reports, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Wednesday on French radio that 'it is out of the question that the European Union would let other countries... attack its sovereign borders, whoever they are.'

This comes after Trump didn’t rule out the possibility that the U.S. could use military force to acquire the Arctic island or the Panama Canal during a press conference Tuesday.

'It might be that you’ll have to do something,' Trump said at his Mar-a-Lago Florida estate when asked whether he would vow against using the military.

Trump added, 'I can’t assure you — you’re talking about Panama and Greenland — no, I can’t assure you on either of those two. But I can say this: We need them for economic security.'

Why it Matters

Following Trump's comments, German Chancellor Scholz reportedly said Wednesday that 'the principle of the inviolability of borders applies to every country, regardless of whether it lies to the east of us or the west, and every state must keep to it, regardless of whether it is a small country or a very powerful state.'

Denmark, a long-time U.S. ally that currently controls Greenland, has stated the territory is not for sale. This was after Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., arrived on the Arctic Island Tuesday for a private visit.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reportedly backed up that point during a television interview. She stated that 'Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders' and its future could be determined only by the local population of roughly 60,000.

However, according to The Guardian, Trump Jr. said about his visit in regards to Greenland's residents is 'these are people who feel they’ve been exploited.'

Trump Jr. added that 'they haven’t been treated fairly by Denmark. They’re being held back from exploiting their natural resources.'

Denmark has reportedly said it is open to dialogue with Trump about addressing security concerns as Greenland has been home to a key U.S. military base since the Cold War.

But Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen suggested that it was in everyone’s interest to lower the temperature around the discussions of Greenland.

Parts of these concerns include melting Arctic ice that is opening and creating new shipping routes as an alternative to the Suez Canal.

The shorter distance, almost half linking east Asia's major ports to Europe, has reportedly been on the radar of Western powers as Russia and China essentially boost their presence in the North Atlantic.

Another area of focus is Greenland's oil, natural gas, and large deposits of rare earth minerals that are crucial for battery and high-tech device manufacturing such as lithium and graphite.

Trump has threatened tariffs 'at a very high level' if Denmark refuses to sell Greenland to the U.S.

He also questioned Denmark's legal right over the Arctic Island.

How it Affects You

A lot is at stake if Greenland and the U.S. are unable to find a common resolution on the matter.

Greenland depends heavily on the support of the U.S., which could be impacted should Trump impose high tariffs to force a sale due to financial strain.

The European Union's relationship with the U.S. could also be impacted depending on the outcome of this ongoing affair.