The Greenland issue must be resolved in line with international law, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys says as US President Donald Trump threatens to take control of the autonomous Danish territory.
“Lithuania clearly stands for the principles of international law, for allies to resolve issues between themselves within the framework provided, as we are obliged to do so by the principles and the commitments of the [NATO] alliance, and we continue to adhere to that position,” Lithuania’s top diplomat told members of the opposition Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) political group at the parliament on Monday.
“This is not neutrality,” he stressed.
Last week, Budrys said that Lithuania was not taking sides in the “Greenland debate”.
“Lithuania is not taking either side. Lithuania says that we are all allies, bound by both long-standing cooperation and firm commitments to each other, and it is in that spirit that we resolve all issues that arise between us,” Budrys said at the time.
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According to him, Lithuania cannot take sides under Article 1 of the NATO Treaty, which states that the allies undertake to settle any international disputes by peaceful means.
On Monday, he reiterated his belief that all issues would be resolved “without forgetting the context and the reason [...] for the security of the North Atlantic and the Arctic, which is important for us, related issues and the future”.
President calls for respect for Denmark’s territorial integrity
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on Monday called for respect for the territories of other countries amid threats from US President Donald Trump to take control of Greenland from Denmark.
He also said that Foreign Minister Budrys’ comments to the effect that Lithuania “is not taking sides” on the issue “was taken out of context”.
“Budrys didn’t just say that one sentence, which was later taken out of context, but he also said […] that territorial sovereignty – in this case not only of Denmark but of the entire European Union, because we are talking about an EU member state – must be respected. And we’ll always be on the side of a rules-based world order,” Nausėda told LRT TV in Brussels on Monday.
“The whole EU understands very well the meaning of a world order based on values and principles, and certainly supports Denmark,” he added.
In early January, Trump stoked concerns when he said he would not rule out taking economic or military measures to take over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.
Greenland’s government insists that the territory is not for sale but says it is ready to cooperate.
Meanwhile, Danish officials say Trump will not get Greenland and stress that there is no military threat to either Greenland or Denmark. They say it is for the island to make decisions on this situation.
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