The European Union will not let other nations attack its sovereign borders, France's foreign minister said on Wednesday (January 8), responding to comments by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on taking over Greenland, Reuters reports.
Trump declined on Monday (January 6) to rule out military or economic action as part of his avowed desire to have the U.S. take control of Greenland, as well as the Panama Canal.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio he did not believe the U.S. would invade the vast Arctic island that has been part of Denmark for over 600 years.
Trump's comments further outlined an expansionist agenda, two weeks before he is sworn into office at the Jan. 20 inauguration in Washington.
Referring to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Barrot also said the European Commission must use its existing legislation in a much tougher manner.
"Either the European Commission applies with the greatest firmness the laws that exist to protect our unique space or it does not and in that case it should think about giving the capacity to do so back to the member states of the European Union, to France," Barrot said.
Asked about EU sanctions in Syria that currently obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid and hinder the country's recovery, Barrot said they could be quickly lifted.
He added there were also ongoing discussions with EU partners about the possibility of lifting other sanctions, contingent on progress in areas such as women's rights and security in Syria.
