France issued a warning to Trump after his comments about Greenland, reiterating that the EU will not tolerate attacks on its borders.
The European Commission must apply existing laws much more strictly, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said today, referring to Elon Musk.
“Either the European Commission enforces the existing laws with utmost determination to protect our unique position, or it does not, in which case it should consider delegating this ability to EU member states, such as France,” Barrot said during an interview on the public radio station France Inter.
Referring to remarks made by the newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump about the ownership and control of Greenland—which has been part of Denmark for over 600 years—Barrot stated that the EU would not allow other countries to infringe on its sovereign borders.
“Clearly, there is no question of the EU allowing any country in the world to attack its sovereign borders, whoever they may be… We are a strong continent,” the French minister commented.
Barrot clarified that he does not believe the U.S. would invade this vast Arctic island.
“If you’re asking me whether I think the U.S. will invade Greenland, my answer is no. But if you’re asking whether we’ve entered a time when the strongest prevail, my answer is yes,” he added, concluding that the EU must neither allow itself to be intimidated nor overly worried but instead wake up and strengthen itself.
In his interview, Barrot also touched on EU sanctions against Syria, which hinder the delivery of humanitarian aid and the country’s recovery. He noted that these sanctions might be lifted quickly.
Barrot added that discussions are ongoing with EU partners regarding the possibility of lifting other sanctions, contingent on progress in areas such as women’s rights and security in Syria.
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