Hamburg, January 27 (QNA) - Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz said that Europe will intensify its efforts to secure the Arctic region, affirming his country's continued support for Denmark in light of US President Donald Trump's attempts to annex Greenland.
At the conclusion of the North Sea Summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Merz added, "Denmark and the people of Greenland, can count on our solidarity," emphasizing that Europe will redouble its efforts to secure the Arctic region. "This is a common transatlantic interest."
The German Chancellor pointed out that the US previously had more than 30,000 soldiers stationed in Greenland, but there are currently fewer than 200, adding that the Americans have two large military bases there, expressing his belief that there is a need for a joint effort to better protect the North.
For her part, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Europe had demonstrated strength and unity in recent weeks in the face of Trump's attempt to annex Greenland.
Frederiksen added that Europe needs to become stronger, and to achieve that, they need to be more self-confident, more competitive, and more independent, indicating that that is precisely the essence of their meeting. (QNA)