Finnish defense chief says he believes US would not attack Greenland

ISTANBUL

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen on Tuesday said that he believes the US would not attack Greenland, adding that any unusual action against an allied country would have “serious ripple effects” on Washington.

Speaking to Finnish daily Ilta-Sanomat, Hakkanen said that Americans understand their global economic and political power is based on alliances rooted in political trust.

“All allies in Asia, Europe and the Middle East are watching extremely closely how allies are treated in different parts of the world. If something unusual were done to any allied country within any network, it would have serious ripple effects on the United States’ overwhelming advantage over China. China does not have a similarly reliable global alliance network like the United States does,” he said.

While acknowledging that it is in itself positive that Washington is investing more in Arctic security, Hakkanen warned that matters falling under Danish authority must be decided by the Danes.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to take control of Greenland, a self-governing territory within Denmark, and has not ruled out doing so with military force.

A day after the US military operation in Venezuela that captured President Nicolas Maduro, Trump on Sunday renewed his calls for an American takeover of Greenland for the sake of US security interests.

Hakkanen urges respect for international law in Venezuela

The defense minister reiterated the need to respect international law and the right to self-determination in Venezuela following a US military operation that captured President Nicolas Maduro.

“Maduro was a dictator and did not have a mandate from his people. At the same time, international law and the right to self-determination should be respected. That is absolutely clear," Hakkanen said.

He also argued that the events would not have a major impact on the actions of Russia or China.

“Neither (Russian President) Putin nor, before him, the Soviet Union has regarded international rules as much of a constraint. Great powers have tended to act in whatever way best suits their interests. History repeats itself in that the entire Cold War was based on balances of power, not balances of rules," Hakkanen added.

Hakkanen also stressed that Europe has to work continuously to keep the US engaged in the continent’s security arrangements and in negotiations on peace in Ukraine, arguing that Washington will remain committed despite the recent developments in Venezuela.

“Ukraine will not collapse in the next couple of years. On the battlefield, Vladimir Putin is not going to achieve his objective, but if tougher sanctions are not imposed, I am not very confident that Putin will stop," he said.

Hakkanen warned that Russia should not be underestimated "as a military threat."

“They are prepared to take absolutely enormous risks and to make even insane miscalculations. We constantly have to be prepared for Russia to come up with something completely incomprehensible," he explained.

He further reaffirmed that there is currently no immediate direct threat and warned that the risk of war could grow if the bloc fails to strengthen its own defense.