Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen stated during a parliamentary questioning session on the 20th that, on the issue of Greenland, Denmark will not negotiate on sovereignty or borders and is prepared for a trade war.
She said Denmark is now facing threats from its 'closest ally.'
In response to U.S. President Trump's recent announcement of imposing additional tariffs on European countries opposing the U.S. acquisition of Greenland, Frederiksen warned that a trade war would lead to job losses on both sides of the Atlantic.
She pointed out that Denmark must prepare for possible scenarios: "If anyone provokes a trade war with Europe, we will of course respond."
On the same day, several opposition leaders praised Frederiksen and the Danish government for their handling of the 'difficult times' during the questioning and expressed support for the government’s recent diplomatic policies and statements.
Canada Backs Greenland and Denmark
On the 20th at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Carney expressed strong support for Greenland and Denmark.
He stated that Canada firmly supports Greenland and Denmark, and fully supports their unique rights in determining Greenland’s future.
Carney also mentioned a theme he has emphasized since entering Canadian politics last year: the U.S.-led global governance system will not return to the pre-Trump norm.
He said that Canada was one of the first countries to 'hear the alarm' and realize that fundamental changes are happening globally. Canada benefited from the era of 'U.S. hegemony,' but must now pivot, as multiple major powers are increasing their use of economic strength as leverage.
Carney stated bluntly, 'The old order is not coming back,' and called on Canada and other medium-sized countries to unite and jointly defend a rules-based international order: 'Because if we’re not at the negotiation table, we’ll end up as the ones being carved up.'
Trump has previously threatened to turn Canada into the 51st state of the U.S. and imposed tariffs in an attempt to force Canada into submission.
Canadian Military Simulates U.S. 'Military Invasion' Scenario
According to a report in Canada’s The Globe and Mail on the 20th, the Canadian Armed Forces recently simulated and developed contingency plans for a scenario in which the U.S. launches a 'military invasion' of Canada.
Citing two senior Canadian government officials, the report pointed out that this is the first time in a century the Canadian Armed Forces have created such a military model specifically targeting the U.S. Canada is a founding member of NATO and a partner of the U.S. in the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
Sources stressed that this is only a conceptual and theoretical framework, not an executable operational plan. The military model is intended to theoretically explore and analyze potential threats, while an operational plan would be a set of detailed instructions for specific actions.
European Parliament Suspends Approval of U.S. Trade Agreement
The European Parliament has frozen the approval process for the trade agreement reached between the EU and the U.S. in July last year. According to the agreement: a 15% tariff would be imposed by the U.S. on products exported from the EU to the U.S., while products exported from the U.S. to the EU would be exempt from tariffs. The suspension of the ratification process means that the agreement cannot come into effect.
The European Parliament still needs to hold a formal vote on the matter, but given that the main political groups have reached consensus, the outcome is all but certain.