Following the threats by US President Donald Trump to take over Greenland, European top politicians are calling for a stronger engagement in the Arctic. “The borders of the European Union are not negotiable” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to the “World on Sunday”. We must, however, recognize that the Arctic plays a significant role in the security of the West, especially due to the de facto alliance between Russia and China. “Should we, in the face of these new threats, simply wait and see?” Barrot asked, with the answer being no.
Top decision-makers in Brussels see the thought experiments in Washington as a wake-up call for the EU. “President Trump is holding Europe a mirror up to itself” said Manfred Weber, the leader of the Christian Democratic European People’s Party (EVP), to the “World on Sunday”. The continent must take a geostrategic stance. “Trump is right in emphasizing the importance of Greenland” Weber said. “This was not discussed by Europe so far.”
Weber also emphasized the need for a decisive approach by the EU, should Trump impose tariffs on Danish products to pressure the government in Copenhagen into selling Greenland. “Denmark’s interests are Europe’s interests, we will not be divided” Weber said. “Tariffs against Denmark must be answered collectively.