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Following the developments in Venezuela, where the US military launched an operation and captured its leader Nicolas Maduro on alleged narcoterrorism charges, a joint statement by the European leaders backed Greenland and its sovereignty and said that the island belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain, and Denmark said the security in the Arctic must be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies, including the United States (US). “These are universal principles and we will not stop defending them,” the statement added.
US President Donald Trump has recently reiterated that America wants to take over Greenland. In a recent interview with The Atlantic magazine, he said, “We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence.” The renewed interest by the Trump administration in taking over the Danish territory sent alarm bells across the major European powers.
The statement by the European leaders added, “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.”
After the US forces carried out an operation in Venezuela and captured its president on Saturday, the action rekindled concerns among NATO allies that Greenland could face a similar scenario.
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Greenland is the world’s largest island with a population of 57,000 and is not part of the western military alliance NATO. But the island is covered by Denmark’s membership of the Western military alliance.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Monday said that his administration is seeking to strengthen their relationship with the US and that the people of Greenland must not fear an imminent takeover by Washington.
(with inputs from Reuters)
