PARIS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Wednesday reiterated France's support for Greenland, stressing that "Greenland is not for sale."
In an interview with Radio France, Barrot said that Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and its future will be defined in an agreement between the Greenlandic and Danish authorities.
Barrot said that it would make absolutely no sense for a NATO country to attack another NATO country, and it would be completely contrary to the interests of the United States.
The minister said that he spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday. "He ruled out the possibility of what has just happened in Venezuela happening in Greenland," Barrot added.
However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump and his team are weighing "a range of options" to acquire Denmark's Greenland, including "utilizing the U.S. military."
On Saturday, U.S. forces launched a military strike against Venezuela, forcibly seizing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on Venezuelan soil. The move has drawn widespread condemnation and protests, with many denouncing it as an unlawful act motivated primarily by a desire to control Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
Barrot stated that in response to U.S. threats, France intends to take action but will do so in coordination with European partners, adding that he would discuss the issue with the foreign ministers of Germany and Poland. ■