Greenland's future

France demands Trump respect EU borders

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is demanding that US President-elect Donald Trump respect the EU's borders, Reuters reports.

- It is not a question of the EU allowing other countries in the world, regardless of who they are, to attack its sovereign borders, Barrot tells French Inter radio.

The statement comes after Trump said that he does not rule out economic or military pressure to take control of Greenland.

Barrot also called on the EU Commission to protect its member states from external influence on the political debate, especially from tech billionaire and Trump confidant Elon Musk.

Foreign Minister on Greenland: "No crisis"

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen is playing down the effects of Donald Trump's latest statement that the US does not rule out economic or military pressure to take control of Greenland.

– I don't think we are in a foreign policy crisis, he tells TV2 and continues:

– I think we are all doing ourselves a favor by slowing down a bit.

The Foreign Minister believes that the US's concern for security in the Arctic is "completely legitimate". This is because both Russia and China have shown interest in the region.

At the same time, Løkke Rasmussen emphasizes that the island "is not for sale". Greenland has had autonomy for several decades but still belongs to Denmark.

"Trump's threat would mean civil war in NATO"

Donald Trump does not usually rule out possibilities. But not ruling out military measures to take control of NATO ally Greenland is still striking, notes the Washington Post's Aaron Blake in an analysis.

According to NATO rules, an attack on a member state is seen as an attack on the entire cooperation. Trump is thus threatening to start a civil war within NATO.

"It sounds ridiculous and will in all likelihood never happen. But even the implied threat is something,” writes Blake.

At the same time, it is a perfect example of what Trump really means by “America First,” writes CNN’s Stephen Collinson:

“This is a doctrine distilled from Trump’s life, where he has always tried to ‘win’ over weaker opponents by being the most aggressive person in the room.”

One of the many questions hanging in the air after Trump’s statements is: Is he joking? Or is he serious?

You can’t really know that, notes SVT’s Fouad Youcefi.

“Maybe Trump himself doesn’t know that yet. Sometimes that’s the purpose of controversial statements.”