Washington: Germany’s Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said on Saturday that international law applies to every country, including the United States, as tensions grow over recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump about Greenland.
Speaking ahead of a meeting of G7 finance ministers in Washington, Klingbeil said respect for international law and national sovereignty is not optional and must be upheld by all nations. His comments were widely seen as a response to Trump’s repeated statements suggesting the United States could seek control of Greenland, a self governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Germany and other European countries have stressed that Greenland’s future can only be decided by its people and government, and that any attempt to pressure or threaten a sovereign territory would go against established international rules.
Klingbeil said the current global situation makes cooperation and respect for shared rules more important than ever. He added that the G7 talks would also focus on strengthening economic ties among allies and securing supply chains for critical minerals, an area where Western countries are trying to reduce dependence on China.
The remarks come amid wider unease among U.S. allies over Washington’s recent foreign policy moves. European leaders have voiced concern that unilateral actions could weaken the rules based international order that has guided relations between allies for decades.
Despite the criticism, German officials said Berlin remains committed to close cooperation with the United States, while making clear that long standing principles such as international law and respect for sovereignty must remain the foundation of global relations.