Wait and see: Brussels keeps mum over Trump's military threats against Greenland

Donald Trump's threat to use military force to annex Greenland has been met with a timid response by the European Commission.

Transcript

00:00I've been told that for a long time, long before I even read it.

00:03The future U.S. president's threats to Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, have received a

00:08timid response from Brussels.

00:12Although Donald Trump has not ruled out a military intervention to annex the island,

00:17a spokesperson for the European Commission has defined it as fairly wild hypothetical

00:22stuff.

00:23Many threats, which did not materialize, and we don't see any need at this moment in time

00:39to go beyond what we have said.

00:43Trump had already expressed interest in buying the Danish autonomous territory during his

00:48previous term in office, and has now given his desire a new impetus with a visit by his

00:53son to Greenland.

00:56But both Denmark and Greenland's prime ministers have reiterated that Greenland is not for

01:00sale and that its sovereignty belongs to its citizens.

01:04Brussels also insists on this point.

01:08Just as a matter of principle, for us it is clear the sovereignty of states has to be

01:14respected.

01:15The melting of the Arctic ice, which opens up the possibility of exploiting Greenland's

01:19natural resources as well as increasing maritime routes in the area, are key to understanding

01:24Trump's fixation.

01:26However, Brussels recalls that the mutual protection clause between member states in

01:32the event of military intervention would also apply for Greenland.