European leaders closed ranks behind Denmark as President Donald Trump amplified threats to seize Greenland, warning that existing borders were non-negotiable and arguing Arctic security must be achieved through NATO.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the U.K. and Denmark called the Arctic a critical pillar of European, international and transatlantic security, and insisted that the U.S. must work with them to defend the region.

“NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up,” they said.

The statement stressed that as part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Greenland falls under the military alliance’s collective defense umbrella. It also called the U.S. an “essential partner” in helping secure the Arctic, citing a 1951 defense agreement with Denmark.

“Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders,” the leaders said. “These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.”

The leaders also pointedly reiterated their stance that the U.S. cannot unilaterally choose Greenland’s future.

“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” the joint statement said.

The collective message is an attempt to rebut Trump’s mounting claims that the U.S. should control Greenland, which has raised the prospect of a devastating rupture within NATO.

The president has in recent days insisted he needs the Arctic island for national security reasons, while Stephen Miller, a top aide to the president, asserted in a CNN interview that the U.S. has a right to take the territory in a world “governed by strength.” Jeff Landry, Trump’s special envoy to the territory, later downplayed the rhetoric, saying in an interview with CNBC that his boss isn’t ready to seize the island but instead supports an independent Greenland.

Regardless, officials in Copenhagen have been alarmed by the latest comments, which follow a U.S. raid on Venezuela that saw military forces capture President Nicolas Maduro. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned on Monday that any U.S. attack on Greenland would spell the end of NATO and end “the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War.”

That sentiment was echoed by Bob Rae, Canada’s former ambassador to the U.N., who argued that international structures are powerless if a country simply ignores them. He said that until now, too many governments and individuals have been afraid to confront the U.S., fearing reprisals, making them slow to respond to a situation that is both unprecedented and uncomfortable.

“The only thing that really works against aggressive behavior is the willingness to exercise power in return,” he said.

On Tuesday night, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen will hold a closed-door meeting with parliament’s foreign policy committee to discuss “the kingdom’s relationship with the U.S.” Denmark’s Cabinet must consult the committee before making decisions with significant international consequences.

The meeting, which was announced abruptly, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in Copenhagen.

While Greenland is a self-ruling territory, with the local government controlling most domestic issues, Denmark oversees the island’s defense and security. The region has become increasingly important as climate change opens up new trade routes and exposes fresh natural resources.

In response, Russia and China have both moved additional resources into the area, vying for control with the U.S. and its NATO allies.

Both Frederiksen and Greenlandic leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen have pushed back hard on Trump’s approach, telling him to stop his threats and respect the island’s territorial integrity.

Nielsen has called Trump’s rhetoric “disrespectful,” but urged his people not to panic. During a press conference on Monday, the Greenland premier also said he’d like a “direct line” of communication between Washington and Nuuk to avoid communicating only through media, according to Danish broadcaster DR.

The issue seeped into a meeting of world leaders on Tuesday in Paris, which was called to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ahead of the gathering, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose country also stretches into the Arctic, echoed the call to respect Greenland and Denmark’s sovereignty.

“As far as the future of Greenland is concerned, it’s only the people of Greenland and Denmark who can decide,” Carney said. “We must invest in the Arctic’s security, Canadian Arctic, Greenland Arctic and Nordic space. There’s been some progress within NATO but we need to move forward. I will talk about this with the NATO secretary general.”

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—With assistance from Samy Adghirni and Danielle Bochove.

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