Paris, Jan 7, (dpa/GNA) – German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, on Wednesday urged the United States to respect the principles of the United Nations amid Washington’s renewed rhetoric about potentially taking control of Greenland.
“The principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders enshrined in the UN Charter must be respected,” Wadephul said in Paris after meeting with his French and Polish counterparts.
Wadephul said decisions about Greenland’s future rested with the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, to which the island formally belongs.
All issues concerning security in the Arctic region must “of course be discussed within the NATO framework.”
He welcomed remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Washington he would hold talks with the government of NATO-member Denmark next week.
“This is certainly sensible and worthy of support,” Wadephul said.
Asked whether US military action against Greenland would spell the end of NATO, Wadephul said he had “not the slightest doubt” that the alliance would remain united.
US President Donald Trump recently raised again the prospect of annexing or acquiring Greenland, citing national security interests.
Trump has framed its acquisition as part of a growing strategic contest in the Arctic involving powers such as China and Russia, as well as a way to secure access to critical minerals.
GNA