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“That’s not what allies do,” Macron said upon arriving in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, becoming the first foreign head of state to visit the territory since Trump’s controversial statements.
The visit was aimed at expressing France’s and the European Union’s solidarity with Greenland’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Macron was welcomed by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and local residents waving red-and-white Greenlandic flags.
Since returning to office, Trump has reiterated America’s interest in Greenland, citing its strategic location and resource wealth, and has not ruled out the use of force. Denmark has firmly rejected these ideas, repeatedly affirming that “Greenland is not for sale.”
Macron began his six-hour visit with discussions aboard a Danish frigate and later visited a glacier to observe the effects of global warming.
Macron’s visit stood in sharp contrast to that of US Vice President JD Vance, whose March trip was criticized by both Nuuk and Copenhagen as provocative. During his visit to the Pituffik U.S. military base, Vance accused Denmark of failing Greenland on security issues.
Polls show that most of Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants favor independence from Denmark but reject U.S. annexation. Though not part of the EU, Greenland remains associated with it through overseas territory status.
With the Arctic gaining strategic significance due to rare earth resources and melting ice opening new sea routes, Copenhagen has announced a $2 billion plan to boost its Arctic military presence. NATO is also planning an air operations center in Norway as Russia strengthens its Arctic forces.
Macron discussed security cooperation and how to include Greenland in European development efforts “while respecting its sovereignty,” according to the Élysée.
Macron took a helicopter tour over Mount Nunatarsuaq’s glacier, 30 kilometers from Nuuk, observing firsthand the effects of rapid warming. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average, and Greenland's ice sheet recently melted at a rate 17 times faster than the historical norm.
He also toured newly exposed terrain previously covered by ice, witnessing the environmental changes impacting local communities.
France plans to reinvest heavily in Arctic ecosystem research, following the legacy of explorer Paul-Émile Victor, who conducted several expeditions to Greenland. His 1950-built hut in Quervain Bay has recently been designated a historic structure by Greenlandic authorities.
Following his visit to Greenland, Macron was scheduled to travel to Canada for the upcoming G7 meeting.
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