US Secretary of State Antony Blinken dismisses Trump’s expansionist agenda amid global concerns

US President-elect Donald Trump has reiterated his interest in acquiring Greenland, citing national security concerns with outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken dismissing his remark and advising the world to “not waste a lot of time” on Trump’s statements.

The President-elect has once again said that he wants to take control of the semiautonomous territory of Denmark even if he has to use the military force to make that happen.

“We need Greenland for national security purposes,” said Trump. Responding to Trump’s statements, Blinken on Jan 9, said that the incoming president's ambitions are unlikely to materialize into anything substantial.

“The idea expressed about Greenland is obviously not a good one,” Blinken said during a stop in Paris for meetings.

“Maybe more important, it is obviously one that's not going to happen. So, we probably shouldn't waste a lot of time talking about it," he added.

Leaders of France and Germany have raised concerns and warned that Europe must brace itself for future turbulence.

Although France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot dismissed the possibility of US forces being deployed against Denmark -- a US ally in the NATO military alliance -- he said that Europe must be prepared.

“Do we think the United States will invade Greenland? The answer is, ‘No,’” the French minister said. “But do we think that we’re entering into a period that sees the return of the law of the strongest, the answer is, ‘Yes.’”

He also said that Europe must become stronger militarily and more competitive economically. “We have to go a lot further to affirm who we are, what we want,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said that the United States will not use military or economic power to secure control over Greenland. She has also appealed for behavior “that is respectful of the Greenlandic people.”

Reacting to Trump’s remarks, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that “the principle of inviolability of borders applies to every country no matter how powerful.”

“Borders must not be moved by force,” said Scholz without naming Trump.

Earlier this week, Trump also called out for a US-Canada merger proposing that it should become the 51st state.

Trump had threatened to use "economic force" to absorb Canada into the United States.

However, outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discounted any possibility of merging the two countries. "There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States," Trudeau wrote on X.