Prime Minister of Denmark: European Self-Defense is Extremely Difficult "Sovereignty" is an "Unbreakable Red Line"

Elise Palace announced on Tuesday that French President Macron will meet Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and the Premier of Greenland, Jens Frederik Jensen, at noon on Wednesday for a working lunch. During this meeting, the French President will reiterate European solidarity and France's support for Denmark and Greenland, safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the two countries.

The Elise Palace stated that the three leaders will discuss Arctic security issues and Greenland's economic and social development, and France and the EU are willing to provide support for this.

The Danish Prime Minister's Press Office issued a statement saying that after the meeting, the two leaders will go to Sciences Po in Paris to attend a debate hosted by Giuliano da Empoli, the author of the bestseller "The Kremlin Wizard."

Frederiksen spoke to students at Sciences Po, saying, "In this ever-changing world, we need reliable partners and friends."

In response to France's opposition to the free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur, Mette Frederiksen said, "Getting closer to Latin America should be a good thing." She continued, "Building closer ties with the African Union or New Delhi should also be the case, and the recent EU-India trade agreement announced by the EU is part of this strategy."

European Self-Defense

On Wednesday, Mette Frederiksen also acknowledged that it is indeed difficult for Europe to defend itself without the help of the United States. However, she added that Europe has the capability to make more defense efforts than currently announced.

She pointed out, "Currently, European self-defense is extremely difficult because we rely on the United States in areas such as intelligence and nuclear weapons. But I believe that we have the ability to do more than what is currently publicly declared."

AFP reported that this was a response to recent comments by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Rutte said on Monday that it is a fantasy for Europeans to be able to defend themselves alone without the support of the world's number one military power - the United States.

"Sovereignty" is an "Unbreakable Red Line"

Due to the threat from Russia and the United States' ambitions regarding Greenland, diplomatic tensions have escalated. Mette Frederiksen and Jens Frederik Jensen attended the North Sea Energy and Security Cooperation Summit in Hamburg on Monday, went to Berlin on Tuesday, and arrived in Paris on Wednesday.

Frederiksen met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Tuesday, and later emphasized on ARD that Denmark hopes to strengthen military cooperation with the United States, but its "sovereignty" is an "unbreakable red line."

After weeks of escalating tensions, Trump made concessions on the issue of Greenland. Previously, he had threatened to annex the island and impose higher tariffs on European countries opposing Greenland, including France, Germany, and the UK. These countries participated in a military reconnaissance operation on the Danish autonomous territory in early January. According to the president, Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reached a "framework agreement" on Greenland during their meeting in Davos, but the details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1855580974476300/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.