Emmanuel Macron blasts Donald Trump over threats against Greenland

The French President said ‘Greenland is not to be sold, not to be taken’ as he made a visit to the Danish autonomous territory.

French President Emmanuel Macron stands on the glacier Mont Nunatarsuaq during a visit in Greenland. Picture: AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron has criticised Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, as he made a visit to the Danish autonomous territory.

“That’s not what allies do,” Mr Macron said in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Sunday (Monday AEST) on the eve of the G7 summit where the French President will join his US counterpart.

Mr Macron is the first foreign head of state to visit the vast territory – at the crossroads of the Atlantic and the Arctic – since Mr Trump’s annexation threats.

Since returning to the White House in January, Mr Trump has repeatedly said America needs the strategically located, resource-rich island for security reasons, and has refused to rule out the use of force to secure it.

“Everybody thinks – in France, in the European Union – that Greenland is not to be sold, not to be taken,” Mr Macron said as he wound up a six-hour visit accompanied by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

Speaking at a press conference held outdoors at the Old Port in Nuuk, the French leader said his trip was aimed at conveying France’s and the EU’s “solidarity” with Greenland.

He stressed the island’s “territorial integrity” as dozens of Greenlanders cheered and waved their territory’s red-and-white flag.

Denmark has also repeatedly said Greenland “is not for sale”.

Mr Macron earlier kicked off his visit with talks onboard a Danish frigate with Ms Frederiksen and Mr Nielsen, discussing among other things “the increasing co-operation” between Russia and China in the region, he said.

France was ready to hold joint military exercises with Arctic countries, under the framework of NATO and the NB8 Nordic and Baltic countries, to ensure security in the region, Mr Macron said.

Copenhagen in January announced a $US2bn ($3.1bn) plan to boost its military presence in the Arctic region.

French President Emmanuel Macron attends a joint press conference with the Danish Prime Minister and Greenland's Prime Minister in Nuuk, Greenland. Picture: AFP

Mr Macron then visited a glacier to see first-hand the effects of global warming. His trip to Greenland was “a signal in itself, made at the request of Danish and Greenlandic authorities”, his office said ahead of the visit.

The Danish invitation to Mr Macron contrasts sharply with the reception granted to US Vice-President JD Vance, whose one-day trip to Greenland in March was seen by both Nuuk and Copenhagen as a provocation.

During his visit to the US Pituffik military base, Mr Vance castigated Denmark for not having “done a good job by the people of Greenland”, alleging it had neglected security.

The Pituffik base is an essential part of Washington’s missile defence infrastructure, its location putting it on the shortest route for missiles fired from Russia at the US.

Polls indicate that the vast majority of Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants want to become independent from Denmark – but do not wish to become part of the US.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenlandic leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen and French President Emmanuel Macron on a helicopter tour in Greenland. Picture: Ritzau Scanpix/AP

Unlike Denmark, Greenland is not part of the European Union but is on the list of Overseas Territories associated with the bloc.

The Arctic has gained geostrategic importance as the race for rare earths heats up and as melting ice caused by global warming opens up new shipping routes.

Mr Macron said the EU wanted to “accelerate the implementation” of a partnership with Greenland on minerals including strategic metals.

The “strategic partnership” signed in 2023 “must allow us to develop sustainable value chains in the strategic raw materials sector”, he said.

The EU has designated as critical raw materials 25 minerals, including rare earths and graphite found in Greenland.

Mr Macron also took a helicopter tour of a glacier on Mount Nunatarsuaq, about 30km from Nuuk, where he was able to observe a sea of fissured ice as far as the eye could see.

Mr Macron left Greenland on Monday to fly on to Canada for the G7 meeting.

AFP