Danish allies ideate on response if US moves to take over Arctic island

Paris/Berlin: Allies including France and Germany are working closely on a plan on how to respond should the United States act on its threat to take over Greenland, as Europe seeks to address US President Donald Trump's ambitions in the region.

A US military seizure of Greenland from a longtime ally, Denmark, would send shock waves through the NATO alliance and deepen the divide between Trump and European leaders.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the subject would be raised at a meeting with the foreign ministers of Germany and Poland later in the day.


"We want to take action, but we want to do so together with our European partners," he said on France Inter radio.

A German government source said separately that Germany was "closely working together with other European countries and Denmark on the next steps regarding Greenland".

A senior European official said Denmark must lead the effort to coordinate a response, but "the Danes have yet to communicate to their European allies what kind of concrete support they wish to receive," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Leaders from major European powers and Canada have rallied behind Greenland this week, saying the island belongs to its people, following a renewed threat by Trump to take over the territory.

Barrot suggested a US military operation had been ruled out by Washington's top diplomat. "I myself was on the phone yesterday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who confirmed that this was not the approach taken ... he ruled out the possibility of an invasion he said. Reuters