Germany reaffirms support for Denmark in Greenland dispute with Trump

BERLIN

Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday reaffirmed Germany’s support for neighboring Denmark in its ongoing dispute with US President Donald Trump over Greenland.

At a joint press conference in Berlin with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Scholz emphasized the fundamental importance of European states' territorial integrity.

“The inviolability of borders is a fundamental principle of international law. Russia has broken this principle with its invasion of Ukraine, thereby also laying the axe to the peace order in Europe,” Scholz said.

“This principle must apply to everyone. I made this clear once again from this point a few days ago. Borders must not be moved by force: To whom it may concern,” he stressed.

While Scholz avoided directly naming the US or President Trump, local media widely interpreted his remarks as a rebuke to Trump's previous statements about acquiring Greenland -- a Danish territory rich in minerals and strategically located in the Arctic.

Frederiksen, for her part, emphasized that European countries should assume more responsibility, enhance their cooperation, and take a more united stance to protect their interests.

"We need to step up in Europe. We need a stronger and more resolute Europe standing increasingly in its own right, capable of defending and promoting Europe and the European interests. It is up to Europe to define the future of our continent," she said.

Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen held high-level talks in European capitals on Tuesday to gather support from key allies regarding Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland. Following her meeting with Scholz in Berlin, she was scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Brussels later in the day.