Berlin (Reuters) – The top European military officer, Robert Brierge, said that EU troops on Saturday expressed interest to US Donald Trump in acquiring Danish territory.

“In my view, it will make perfect sense not only to station US forces in Greenland, as it is the case of dating EU soldiers there in the future,” said the chairman of the European Union. Militia Committee.

Ultimately, such a move would require a political decision, the Austrian-born general said. The Military Committee is the Council of Europe’s highest military office, but it serves as a consultative body since there is no dedicated army in the bloc.

US-led NATO is the main military alliance for the EU.

Although Greenland is not part of the EU as a territory outside of Denmark, Europeans, as well as the US have interests in Greenland, citing its raw materials and strategic location.

“However, with increasing ice melt as a result of climate change, it also creates a certain potential for tension with Russia and perhaps China,” he said.

Trump has expressed an interest in making Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, part of the United States. He did not rule using military or economic power to persuade Denmark to surrender.

The strategic location of Greenland along the shortest route from Europe to North America, important for the US Ball Ballistic Missile Paspy System, makes it a priority for Trump.

Brierger said he hopes the US as a member of the United Nations will respect the inviolability of borders as stipulated in the UN Charter.