The European People’s Party (EPP) Group has called for European unity and cooperation in response to claims about Greenland made by US President Donald Trump, ahead of a debate in the European Parliament.
The group said it “stands firmly with the people of Greenland” and expects “everyone to respect the sovereignty of both Greenland and Denmark”, in a joint statement on Tuesday from Danish MEP Niels Flemming Hansen and Spanish MEP Nicolás Pascual de la Parte.
Hansen said rhetoric from the US administration was “unacceptable” and called for a diplomatic approach, while also saying there should be a military presence in Greenland in close cooperation with NATO.
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
NATO cooperation and Arctic security
Pascual de la Parte said the defence and security dimension of the Arctic — and Greenland in particular — was becoming more central, and called for stronger cooperation with partners in the region to ensure “stability, situational awareness, and the protection of our shared interests”.
He stated this should be done through NATO’s “framework of collective security”, describing the alliance as “the cornerstone” of deterrence and defence.
