Slovak MEPs: EU Must Respond to Trump Threats Over Greenland

Strasbourg/Bratislava, 20 January (TASR) – The European Union must respond to threats by US President Donald Trump concerning Greenland, Slovak members of the European Parliament Lucia Yar (Renew Europe/Progressive Slovakia), Milan Uhrik (Europe of Sovereign Nations/Republic), Katarina Roth Nevedalova (non-attached/Smer-SD) and Branislav Ondrus (non-attached/Voice-SD) agreed in interviews with TASR on Tuesday. Some of them also called on the EU to start seeking new strategic partners. Yar described Trump's ambitions as absurd. "He has apparently decided to embody in his positions all the suspicions of deeply-rooted imperialism that the rest of the world reproaches the United States for. We do not live in the 19th century, and thanks to international law the world functions in relative peace and living standards are rising," she said. According to her, the EU must do everything to defend Europe's territorial integrity and preserve international law as a fundamental foundation of international relations. She therefore considers an EU response essential. "I am glad that it is doing so. Traditionally – since this concerns a long-standing ally – it begins with political and diplomatic pressure. I also appreciate the strengthening of units from some EU member states directly in Greenland," she added, noting that leaders at Thursday's summit in Brussels will also discuss further response options. Yar stressed that the EU has the capacity to act confidently and assertively. "As the EU, we are not only the United States' largest trading partner, but also an investment and security partner, and above all we share values. That is why the Union cannot allow itself to be cornered by Trump over his absurd statements," she said. Uhrik remarked that Europe is, in his view, innocent in this conflict. "Denmark has done nothing wrong; the United States has simply decided that it wants to acquire Greenland's territory – voluntarily, under the pressure of tariffs, or even militarily. Europe must respond," he stated. In Uhrik's view, the Union should quickly present a package of countermeasures in case Washington introduces the tariffs and, if the dispute does not ease, consider seeking alternative strategic partnerships, for example with China. "We must realise that if Europe loses Greenland, it will also lose the last remnants of respect in the world. It will be a message to the entire world that they can do whatever they want with us," he warned, adding that after recent US actions in Venezuela, statements about Greenland should not be taken lightly. Roth Nevedalova views Donald Trump's ambitions as a violation of international law and a potential threat of global armed conflict. “I agree with the view that this is a potential threat to the collapse of NATO as an alliance, because it can be seen as a potential attack by one member against another,” she warned. She underlined that Denmark is part of the EU, and therefore the Union cannot agree to the seizure of its territory. At the same time, she pointed out that the bloc's options are very limited. "The best option is, of course, diplomacy, a joint approach and discussion with the United States. However, Greenland is an autonomous territory and has the right to self-determination also under the UN Charter. If its citizens democratically decide on their own independence, or possibly on accession to any union with the United States, that is also possible," she added, stressing that such an act would have to be well thought out, legal and voluntary. Ondrus described the statements and political steps of the US president as a display of hostility towards the EU. "No other country in the world has ever threatened us with military aggression if our member state does not 'voluntarily' hand over part of its territory. No other country in the world has launched an intelligence operation against a member state with the aim of seceding territory," he stressed. According to him, he has long warned that the United States is no longer an ally for the EU, but at least a rival or even an enemy. He sees the current situation as "the consequence of ideological blindness not only of representatives of the European Commission, but also of many European leaders. It is a slap that these blind ideologues asked for. And they deserve it," he said. Ondrus called on the Union to seek partners who respect it. mf