Europe scrambles to respond to Trump threats over Greenland

European leaders were scrambling on Wednesday to formulate a response to US President Donald Trump's renewed threat to take over Greenland, which could include a military invasion.

A White House statement said Trump was considering a "range of options", claiming the US regarded annexing the semi-autonomous region of Denmark a "national security priority".

France on Wednesday said it was working with allies on how to respond to a US invasion, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot set to discuss the matter at a meeting with his German and Polish counterparts.

“We want to take action, but we want to do so together with our European partners,” he told France Inter radio.

Other European leaders rallied on Tuesday in support of Denmark, a fellow Nato member, which is opposed to Trump's demands and has challenged his assertions that Chinese vessels are operating in the region in large numbers.

Denmark has said any invasion or seizure would mark the end of the Nato western military alliance and “post-second world war security”.

The White House said on Tuesday: "The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the Commander-in-Chief's disposal."

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt, are seeking an urgent meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“We would like to add some nuance to the conversation,” Rasmussen said in a social media post. “The shouting match must be replaced by a more sensible dialogue. Now.”

Trump has claimed that Greenland is “full of Chinese and Russian ships” and that Denmark is incapable of defending Greenland.

Rasmussen said the US was giving a false representation of what was happening in Greenland.

“The image that is being painted of Russian and Chinese ships right inside the Nuuk fjord and massive Chinese investments being made is not correct,” he said.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com