French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a pointed rebuke of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive statements about Greenland, during a historic visit to the Arctic territory on Sunday — the first by a foreign head of state since Trump reignited tensions over American ambitions to annex the island.
“I don’t think that’s what allies do,” Macron said upon arrival in Greenland, describing his six-hour visit as a show of “France’s and the EU’s solidarity” with the strategically vital region, which has become the focus of mounting geopolitical interest.
The visit, made en route to the upcoming G7 summit in Canada, was jointly requested by both Denmark and the Greenlandic government, and began with trilateral talks aboard a Danish naval frigate with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Macron emphasized the need for Europe to be more actively engaged in Arctic affairs, stating, “It’s important that Denmark and the Europeans commit themselves to this territory, where the strategic stakes are very high and whose territorial integrity must be respected.”
Tensions have escalated since Trump reiterated earlier this year that Greenland was essential to U.S. national security, and refused to rule out the use of military force to bring the territory under American control. His administration has pointed to the island’s location on the shortest missile route between Russia and the U.S., and its growing significance due to rare earth resources and emerging Arctic trade routes.
A recent U.S. vice-presidential visit by JD Vance to Pituffik Air Base in Greenland added to the controversy, with remarks accusing Denmark of neglecting Greenland’s security. In response, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stirred further concern last week by refusing to deny that the Pentagon had contingency plans to forcibly take the island.
According to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, U.S. intelligence agencies have been investigating Greenland’s independence movement and local sentiment regarding potential U.S. extraction of natural resources.
Polls consistently show that the majority of Greenland’s 57,000 residents support eventual independence from Denmark, but strongly oppose becoming a part of the United States.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Nielsen recently reiterated: “We will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone.” He praised France’s clear and early support since Trump’s statements, calling it both “necessary and gratifying.”
Denmark, a traditional U.S. ally, has responded to the crisis by deepening ties with France, the EU’s only nuclear power, including by ordering French surface-to-air missile systems.
Macron’s visit is widely seen as a move to counterbalance U.S. pressure and reinforce European commitment to Arctic sovereignty. A planned stop at a hydroelectric plant was canceled, but the French leader visited a glacier to witness firsthand the impact of climate change, another factor heightening global interest in the region.
Analyst Florian Vidal, of the French think tank Ifri, commented: “From a Nordic point of view, France is a military power that counts. The Trump administration’s posture makes the French vision of a more autonomous Europe appear more reasonable.”
With U.S. ambitions increasingly seen as “predatory,” Denmark is looking to Europe for strategic balance in the Arctic – and Macron appears ready to answer that call.