NUUK, GREENLAND (BN24) — French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Greenland on Sunday, delivering a strong message of European support for the Danish autonomous territory, which has once again drawn attention from President Donald Trump amid reports of renewed U.S. interest in the strategic Arctic island.
Greeted in Nuuk by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Macron emphasized that Greenland’s territorial integrity must be respected, calling the island’s future a matter of sovereignty, diplomacy, and strategic alignment—not acquisition.
“It’s important to show that Denmark and Europe are committed to this territory, which has very high strategic stakes,” Macron told reporters upon arrival. “Territorial integrity is not negotiable between allies.”
The visit comes just days before Macron is set to join Trump and other world leaders at a Group of Seven summit in Canada, where geopolitical tensions—especially over climate, defense, and global influence—are expected to dominate talks.
The French president, making his first trip to Greenland, said he came bearing a message of “solidarity and friendship” from France and the European Union. He pointed to shared priorities around economic development, education, and the fight against climate change—challenges the EU is seeking to address through strengthened cooperation with Greenland.
“It means a lot to me to convey Europe’s friendship and commitment,” Macron said. “We stand with Greenland as it navigates the pressures of climate transformation and strategic competition.”
The visit takes place against the backdrop of Trump’s revived interest in purchasing Greenland, an idea he first floated during his first term and has refused to rule out. Macron, without naming Trump directly, has consistently criticized the notion. At the recent UN Ocean Conference, he warned that Greenland and global commons “are not up for grabs.”
Security concerns also featured prominently during Macron’s visit. He joined Frederiksen and Nielsen aboard a Danish helicopter carrier, signaling France’s growing concern over Arctic militarization and the geopolitical implications of resource access in the region.
The visit also aimed to advance EU-Greenland cooperation on critical minerals, low-carbon energy, and sustainable development, in line with Brussels’ broader strategy to reduce dependence on rival global powers.
Tensions escalated last week when U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to confirm during a combative congressional hearing whether the Pentagon had drawn up plans to seize Greenland and Panama by force. The remarks, coupled with recent intelligence efforts reportedly focused on Greenland’s independence movement, have fueled concern across Europe.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Nielsen has previously rejected U.S. overtures, warning that “Greenland will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone.”
Macron’s stop in Nuuk was widely viewed as a show of transatlantic resolve and a strategic rebuttal to Washington’s posture in the Arctic.
