As to whether the mutual defense clause of the Treaty on European Union (Article 42.7) could apply to Greenland, an overseas territory associated with the European Union and constituent of Denmark, the purely legal answer is yes . This article provides that in the event that a Member State is the subject of armed aggression on its territory, the other Member States must provide aid and assistance by all means in their power. “But we are talking about an extremely theoretical subject,” says Paola Pinho.
The day before, the president-elect of the United States had refused to rule out the idea of using force to annex the Panama Canal and Greenland, also threatening to use “economic force” against Canada.
As for the threat of economic measures against the EU, “we have been preparing for any scenario” for a year with a dedicated team, recalled Olof Gill, the spokesperson in charge of economic security. “The priority is to identify avenues for cooperation” with Washington, but “we are ready to defend our interests if necessary.” He also tempers by emphasizing that these are “purely hypothetical questions, concerning an administration which has not yet taken office”.
