By dpa correspondents
Berlin – Germany’s vice chancellor, Lars Klingbeil, has sharply criticized repeated US threats to annex Greenland, as President Donald Trump emphasized that “ownership” was key for him.
Germany’s vice chancellor, Lars Klingbeil, has sharply criticized repeated US threats to annex Greenland, as President Donald Trump emphasized that “ownership” was key for him when it came to the vast Arctic territory.
“International law applies. The law that only the strongest survive cannot apply here. And that is why Denmark has our full solidarity and we will make this clear to the US at every point,” Klingbeil said on Friday at a meeting of lawmakers of his Social Democrats.
The Social Democrats – which are part of Germany’s governing coalition – also focussed in their discussions on international relations, which Klingbeil said were experiencing “dramatic upheavals.”
The transatlantic relationship, which has always been an integral part of foreign and security policy, is “disintegrating,” he said.
The conclusion must be that Europe takes special care of its own sovereignty, he said.
Trump applies more pressure
Greenland belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark, but has been coveted by Trump since his first term in office.
Statements from US officials regarding taking over Greenland have strengthened in recent days, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to discuss the issue with Danish officials next week.
In an interview with the New York Times on Thursday, Trump stressed that existing US agreements on its military presence on Greenland were not enough.
“Ownership is very important,” Trump said. “Because that’s what I feel is psychologically needed for success. I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do with, you’re talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document.”
Taking Greenland by force would mean attacking a fellow NATO member. When asked which was his higher priority, obtaining Greenland or preserving NATO, Trump declined to answer directly, but acknowledged that “it may be a choice.”
Asked if he believed there were limits on his ability to use US military force, he replied :“My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
“I don’t need international law,” he added. “I’m not looking to hurt people.”
