Observers from various sectors of Italy on Thursday warned that the recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Greenland revealed the United States' desire for Greenland's resources and disregard for international law, posing a serious threat to regional peace and stability.
Riccardo Ricciardi, a member of Italy's Chamber of Deputies, cautioned that Europe's repeated concessions to the U.S. merely fuel Trump's unilateral policies and pressure on NATO partners.
"It is clear that when Europe concedes to Trump and the U.S. on every issue, it only encourages Trump to continue pursuing his own policies and threatening his own allies, such as Denmark, a NATO member which holds sovereignty over Greenland," said Ricciardi.
"I believe that [on the issue of Greenland] the United States has returned to its origins. This is how the United States developed as a nation -- by seizing other countries' territories through war," said Pino Arlacchi, former UN under-secretary-general and sociologist.
"The reasons for the U.S. coveting Greenland are very clear. Greenland holds immense strategic value, as climate change has opened the Arctic shipping route, bringing many changes compared to the past. It possesses vast raw materials, such as oil and other crucial resources. Therefore, U.S. control over Greenland would yield significant benefits, but this severely violates international law. This once again reveals the true nature of the U.S. as an imperialist state, a nation that persistently violates international law to serve the interests of its own ruling class," said Fabio Marcelli, an Italian legal expert.
Clara Statello, an Italian journalist, said Trump's remarks also sent negative signals to all European countries.
"America's covetous eye on Greenland sends a very clear message to European nations: you are not allies, you are not on the same level as the United States, you are mere vassals, or even enemies," said Statello.
"The United States is pursuing an aggressive imperialist policy, serving only its own interests while completely disregarding the realities and will of the peoples of all nations," said former Italian Senator Claudio Grassi.
"The U.S. position completely violates international law and fundamentally contradicts the norms of international relations established after World War II. In essence, the U.S. stance is a blatant threat of force. What I see in this is nothing but a gangster logic," said Italian lawyer Fernando Petrivelli.
US remarks on Greenland threaten regional peace: Italian observers
US remarks on Greenland threaten regional peace: Italian observers
US remarks on Greenland threaten regional peace: Italian observers
