Alarmed by Trump's comments, European leaders say Greenland 'belongs to its people'

"Yeah, Leila, the issue was looming so large that it risked overshadowing the talks on Ukraine. So before they even got to work on Ukraine, they issued a statement on Greenland. France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain and Denmark issued a statement stressing that Greenland, quote, "belongs to its people and that only Denmark and Greenland can decide the island's future." But the statement did not condemn the U.S.' aggressive language or what some see as threats to European sovereignty. No, it spoke of, quote, collective action to protect the Arctic "in conjunction with NATO" and the U.S."

"They were supposed to focus on how Ukraine's security and sovereignty will be guaranteed once the war stops. But after watching the U.S. seize Venezuela's president, several countries warned Washington not to go further and to respect the NATO allies' sovereignty."

"The Europeans are not able to take any kind of strong position on any issues related to U.S. foreign policy because Europe depends so much on the U.S. for its own defense and for the future of Ukraine."

Heads of state from 35 nations gathered in Paris to discuss Ukraine's future, but attention shifted to President Trump's comments about taking Greenland. Several European governments issued a statement asserting that Greenland belongs to its people and that only Denmark and Greenland can decide the island's future. The joint statement avoided directly condemning U.S. rhetoric and instead called for collective action to protect the Arctic in conjunction with NATO and the United States. Some countries warned Washington not to go further and to respect NATO allies' sovereignty, noting Europe's dependence on U.S. defense support and the stakes for Ukraine's future.

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