France could deploy troops to Greenland – FM

Jean-Noel Barrot’s remarks come amid tensions between Denmark and the US, with President Trump demanding the island be ceded to Washington

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has said his country would be willing to deploy troops to Greenland, amid a spat between Denmark and the US over the Arctic island.

US President Donald Trump first floated the idea of purchasing the territory during his first term in office, and revived the idea following his return to power earlier this year. He has cited Greenland’s significance for US national security, refusing to rule out the use of military force to obtain the island, the world’s largest.

Denmark, which controls the autonomous territory, has insisted that Greenland is not for sale.

In an interview with France’s Sud Radio on Tuesday, Barrot revealed that Paris had “started discussing [troop deployment] with Denmark,” noting, however, that Copenhagen had no desire for such a mission at present.

“If Denmark calls for help, France will be there,” the diplomat vowed, insisting that the “European borders are sovereign whether it’s north, south, east and west [and]... nobody can allow themselves to mess around with our borders.”

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According to the minister, during an EU foreign ministers’ meeting on Monday his counterparts from other member states also pledged their backing for Denmark, signaling similar readiness to consider troop deployments.

Barrot expressed confidence that a forcible takeover of Greenland by the US “won’t happen [as] people don’t invade EU territories.”

Over the weekend, the chairman of the EU Military Committee (EUMC), General Robert Brieger, said that “it would make perfect sense not only to station US forces in Greenland, as has been the case to date, but also to consider stationing EU soldiers there in the future.” Washington has had a military base on the island since the early 1940s.

In an interview with Die Welt, the former Austrian chief of staff argued that such a deployment would “send a strong signal and could contribute to stability in the region.” He cited potential “tension with Russia and possibly China” in the area, especially given the melting of the polar ice caps due to climate change. The general described the area as one of “great importance from a geopolitical point of view.”

Additionally, Brieger pointed out that while the territory does not legally constitute part of the EU, the bloc has interests in Greenland, in light of rich deposits of raw materials on the island and its proximity to international trade routes.

Commenting on US claims on the island, Brieger said he expected Washington to respect the territorial integrity of other nations and the UN Charter.