France on Jan 5 reaffirmed its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark and Greenland, responding to renewed comments by US President Donald Trump

suggesting Washington could take control of the Arctic island.

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux said Paris stood in solidarity with Denmark, stressing that Greenland’s future could only be determined by its own people.

“Greenland belongs to Greenland’s people and to Denmark’s people. It is up to them to decide what they wish to do,” Mr Confavreux told TF1 television. “Borders cannot be changed by force.”

His remarks followed comments by Mr Trump in an interview with ‘The Atlantic’ on Jan 4, in which the US president said: “We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence.”

The comments reignited tensions a day after Mr Trump made separate claims about US control over Venezuela following the capture of its president, Nicolas Maduro.

Leaders of Denmark and Greenland also responded on Jan 4, urging Mr Trump to stop making threats over Greenland’s future and reiterating that the territory was not for sale.

Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has long held strategic importance due to its location in the Arctic and growing geopolitical competition in the region. Photo by French Army, Wikimedia commons.