France pushes back on Trump using military pressure to take Greenland, says it's now 'survival of the fittest'
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Wednesday flatly said the European Union will not allow President-elect Trump to take Greenland by military force.
"It is out of the question that the European Union would let other countries ... attack its sovereign borders, whoever they are," Barrot said on French radio, according to Politico.
Barrot added that he doubts Trump would take the extraordinary step of invading Greenland.
"If you're asking me whether I think the United States will invade Greenland, my answer is no. But have we entered into a period of time when it is survival of the fittest? Then my answer is yes," Barrot said.
DANISH PRIME MINISTER HAS BLUNT MESSAGE FOR TRUMP: GREENLAND IS NOT FOR SALE
That stark warning comes after Trump made various statements calling the island territory vital to U.S. national and economic security interests and expressing interest in purchasing it from Denmark. He has made similar comments about wresting the Panama Canal from Panama's control after the U.S. relinquished the canal in 1977.
On Tuesday, the incoming U.S. president would not rule out using military force to gain control of Greenland or the Panama Canal when asked about the issue at a press conference.
A reporter asked Trump if he could assure the world he would not use military or economic coercion to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.
"No, I can't assure you on either of those two. But I can say this, we need them for economic security," Trump said.
DONALD TRUMP JR ARRIVES IN GREENLAND AS HIS FATHER SAYS DENMARK ‘GIVE IT UP’
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emphasized Tuesday that Greenland is not for sale.
Frederiksen told a Danish TV station that Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede "has been very, very clear – that there is a lot of support among the people of Greenland that Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future either," according to The Hill.
She reportedly told TV 2 that Greenland will choose its own future and said, "We need to stay calm and stick to our principles," while praising the U.S. as a key Danish ally.
TRUMP ESCALATES PLANS TO ACQUIRE GREENLAND AFTER RESIDENT PLEADS: ‘DENMARK’S USING US'
In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said he was "hearing that the people of Greenland are ‘MAGA'." The Republican attached a video that purportedly shows a Greenlander asking the U.S. to buy his country.
Trump's son arrived Tuesday in Nuuk, the Arctic territory's capital. He met with locals, visited cultural sites and shot video for a podcast. The president-elect posted a video showing a plane emblazoned with the word "TRUMP" landing in Nuuk.
"Don Jr. and my Reps landing in Greenland," Trump wrote. "The reception has been great. They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength, and PEACE! This is a deal that must happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!"
At Tuesday's press conference, Trump said of Greenland, "Denmark should give it up."