European powers warn that Arctic borders are non-negotiable as concerns grow over US rhetoric and strategic competition in the polar north.
A group of European leaders on Tuesday underlined their support for Denmark after US President Donald Trump again voiced designs on its autonomous Arctic territory of Greenland.
The leaders of France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain as well as Denmark said that sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders were “universal principles and we will not stop defending them”.
Strategic anxieties over Greenland
Washington’s military intervention in Venezuela has reignited fears about Trump’s designs on Greenland, which has untapped rare earth deposits and could be a vital player as polar ice melts, opening up new shipping routes.
Greenland is on the shortest route for missiles between Russia and the United States, and Washington already has a military base there.
With the situation in Venezuela more pressing, Trump quipped on Sunday that “we’ll worry about Greenland in about two months”.
The European leaders’ joint statement said: “Arctic security remains a key priority for Europe and it is critical for international and transatlantic security.
“Nato has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up.
“We and many other allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries.”
They stressed that Denmark – including Greenland – was part of Nato.
Sovereignty and collective security
“Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with Nato allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders,” the leaders said.
“These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.”
The statement was signed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
They added that the US was “an essential partner in this endeavour”.
“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” they said.
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