Germany said borders must not be changed by force after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out military action to take control of Greenland.
The vast Arctic island is an autonomous territory of EU and NATO member Denmark.
Germany’s Scholz: Inviolability of borders is ‘fundamental international law’
German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said that “as always, the firm principle applies… that borders must not be moved by force,” highlighting international agreements such as the UN Charter.
Hebestreit refused to be drawn on whether Berlin took Trump’s threats against Denmark seriously.
“I don’t want to assess” the comments, Hebestreit told a regular news conference, adding simply that the German government had “taken note” of them.
Later in the day, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he discussed Trump’s remarks with other EU leaders, while reiterating that the inviolability of borders is “fundamental international law.”
Scholz said during his talks with EU leaders there was “incomprehension” regarding “certain statements” coming from the US.
“The principle of inviolability of borders applies to every country, regardless of whether it is to the east or west of us,” Scholz said. The German chancellor’s remarks also come as Russia invades Ukraine in Eastern Europe, violating the sovereignty of its neighbor.
France FM Barrot: Trump must not threaten sovereign EU borders
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot demanded that Trump should not threaten the European Union’s “sovereign borders.”
“There is no question of the EU letting other nations in the world, whoever they may be, attack its sovereign borders,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio.
He added that, while he did not believe the US “would invade” Greenland, “we have entered an era that is seeing the return of the law of the strongest.”
“We are a strong continent, we must become stronger,” Barrot said on the French radio station France Inter.
