© Getty Images Macron said that Europe would not succumb to intimidation by the US, and would not “passively accept the law of the strongest.”
Mere hours before US President Donald Trump’s arrival in Davos, Switzerland, France, during the World Economic Forum (WEF), suggested conducting NATO drills in Greenland. The announcement surfaced amid ongoing declarations from Trump and his team about their desires to annex the Danish territory to the US by any means necessary — be it economically or through force — alongside statements made by the US president in Davos.
Paris affirmed its readiness to “support” the execution of these exercises. This was disclosed by DW on Wednesday, January 21, referencing reports in the French media regarding a statement from the office of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Earlier in January, several European nations, including Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, deployed their military personnel to the island for the Danish-organized Arctic Endurance exercises. Notably, Germany dispatched a Bundeswehr scouting unit to Greenland, as per media reports, to examine the feasibility of providing military assistance to Denmark.
Against this backdrop, on January 16, the US president menaced to apply substantial tariffs to countries that had dispatched troops to Greenland starting February 1. The following day, a contingent of 15 Bundeswehr soldiers departed the island. The German Defense Ministry asserted that the mission wasn’t cut short; the soldiers simply concluded their planned objectives.
Macron himself delivered an address at the WEF. Among other topics, he stated that Europe would not yield to pressure from the US, nor would it “passively accept the law of the strongest,” as any alternative conduct would result in its “subjugation.”
As a reminder, on January 20, during a speech at the Davos forum, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng emphasized the significance of international cooperation. He pointed out that the planet’s future hinges on collaboration, and the most fruitful approach to attain it is through unity.
“While economic globalization may not be flawless, nations cannot entirely abandon it and retreat into isolationism… Tariffs and trade wars benefit nobody,” He Lifeng declared while speaking at the forum.
Furthermore, surprisingly to many, the Vice Premier of the State Council of China highlighted that the world should not revert to the “law of the jungle, where the powerful intimidate the vulnerable.” According to The Guardian, this appears to offer some reassurance to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as its territory, without dismissing the potential of using force to seize control of the island.