The French presidential office released a statement today (January 6) that French President Macron, German Chancellor Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Tusk, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez, British Prime Minister Starmer, and Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen issued a joint statement on Greenland. It emphasized that the sovereignty of Greenland belongs to its people and warned that this move could undermine the NATO security system, drawing global attention to the potential rift in US-EU relations.
The statement opened by emphasizing "Greenland belongs to its people," stating that any matter concerning the island can only be decided by Denmark and Greenland themselves, directly responding to Trump's territorial claims.
The seven countries cited the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of borders from the UN Charter, pointing out that Arctic security needs to be achieved through the NATO framework and calling on the United States to abide by the rules they jointly maintain.
The statement tied Greenland's security to NATO's collective defense, stating that "Denmark (including Greenland) is part of NATO," implying that if the United States were to annex it by force, it would lead to the collapse of NATO. This unified voice from the seven European countries was interpreted as Europe's first collective resistance against the "Western hegemon's" territorial expansion. Observers like Hu Xijin said it "shattered the Western value alliance."
This joint statement not only serves as a definitive declaration of Greenland's sovereignty but also marks a significant step in the publicization of divisions within NATO. As a rebellion by allies against their leader, it holds milestone significance. Its subsequent effectiveness depends on whether the United States curbs its expansionist ambitions and whether Europe can transform diplomatic statements into substantive balancing actions.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/1853587614662656/
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