The United States has repeatedly expressed interest in Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, while threatening to impose additional tariffs on European countries that oppose the US acquisition. This has provoked strong opposition from the European Union and a number of leaders in various countries.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on 20 January, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that Denmark's sovereignty and territorial integrity are unquestionable. She said the European Union is preparing its own security strategy, including an update of the Arctic strategy, with the clear principle that sovereign states have the right to decide their own future.
During the forum, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the current international order is facing serious challenges and some states are trying to change the rules of the international system by exercising their power. He called on the international community to respect the principles of sovereign equality and multilateral cooperation and to reject the logic that power determines everything.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on 20 January that Canada strongly disagrees with the United States' policy of imposing tariffs on several countries over the Greenland issue and that Canada stands firmly behind Greenland and Denmark.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever pointed out that Europe was at a crossroads of important decisions. „We relied on the United States, so we were tolerant of them, but now they have crossed too many red lines. The decision before us concerns our self-respect,“ he said.
Swedish Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson called the US action „deeply regrettable and utterly absurd“. She said the US efforts to acquire or buy land through threats represented a new low in international relations.
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