HELSINKI, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen on Thursday described recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his administration on Greenland as "worrying," while reiterating Finland's support for Denmark and Greenland's right to self-determination.
Valtonen made the comments at a press conference at Finnish parliament after an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, which discussed U.S. statements on Greenland and the situation in Venezuela, as well as other security issues.
She said Denmark has assessed that U.S. messages on Greenland must be taken seriously and that Finland is relying on Denmark's assessment.
"Finland and the other Nordic countries have exceptional expertise in Arctic conditions, and we are happy to make use of that together with our North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to strengthen Arctic security, but it cannot be done by threatening allies," Valtonen said, as Washington has framed the Greenland issue in Arctic security terms.
Johannes Koskinen, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said it was "unprecedented" for threats of violence to be made within NATO against another member in connection with seizing territory, adding that such threats run counter to the United Nations Charter and that their inconsistency with international law should be underscored at all levels.
Valtonen said a U.S. security strategy published in December already signaled a move away from a multilateral, rules-based order toward the notion of spheres of interest, a direction she said runs against Finland's security policy outlook.
She said Finland has conveyed in its contacts with the United States that resorting to "the prerogative of the most powerful" would not serve even the long-term interests of the most powerful.
Valtonen also described as "quite a piece of news" the U.S. announcement that it would withdraw from 66 international organizations and agreements.
The press conference followed briefings in which Finnish officials and experts updated lawmakers on the evolving international situation and its implications for Finland's security and foreign policy. ■
