Germany’s Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil on Sunday emphasized that international law applies to all nations, including the United States, amid President Donald Trump’s controversial threats to seize Greenland.
Speaking ahead of his departure for a G7 finance ministers’ meeting in Washington, Klingbeil stressed that “the future of Greenland is solely a matter for Denmark and Greenland to decide. Territorial sovereignty and integrity must always be respected.”
A unilateral US move to take control of Greenland, a mineral-rich Arctic island and long-time Danish ally, would risk destabilizing NATO relations and heighten tensions between Washington and European partners, Klingbeil warned. “Security in the Arctic must be strengthened collectively as NATO allies, not through confrontation,” he added.
The upcoming G7 meeting will focus heavily on critical minerals, as Western nations aim to reduce reliance on China following Beijing’s strict export controls on rare earth elements. Klingbeil noted that Germany is keen to expand international collaboration to secure stable supplies of essential resources like copper, lithium, cobalt, graphite, and rare earths, ensuring both economic stability and strategic security.
“Cooperation with international partners is vital. Wherever possible, we must act in unity to maintain reliable supply chains,” he said. According to the International Energy Agency, China currently dominates the refining of many key minerals, handling between 47% and 87% of global output.
