PARIS, January 22. /TASS/. French Economy and Finance Minister Roland Lescure believes that Europe’s "harsh reaction" to US President Donald Trump's remarks about Greenland's annexation has forced Washington to reconsider its approach and abandon a military confrontation.

"After the extremely harsh reaction from Europe, especially France, they [the US] have gone on the retreat. I think this harshness has begun to convince the American President that other ways and means besides force must be found," the minister said on RTL radio.

Nevertheless, Lescure noted that Trump's statements and actions should be watched closely in the coming days, as the US President’s deadline to impose new duties on several European countries due to their decision to send troops to Greenland for exercises approaches.

The minister highlighted the American leader's unpredictability, saying that in both business and geopolitics, this is not a good quality.

During his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said that he does not plan to use force to establish control over Greenland and that previously announced duties against European countries supporting Greenland will not be imposed starting February 1. Earlier he said that a framework for a future deal concerning Greenland and the entire Arctic region had been prepared.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark. In 1951, Washington and Copenhagen, in addition to their NATO alliance obligations, signed a defense treaty. Under this document, the United States committed to defending the island from possible aggression. Trump asserted that control of Greenland is necessary for the United States to strengthen its national security and effectively deploy the American Golden Dome missile defense system.