Greenland: Emmanuel Macron expresses "European solidarity" during an unprecedented trip to the island

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, June 15, criticized Donald Trump's desire to annex Greenland and expressed "European solidarity" with the autonomous Danish territory during his visit to the Arctic island.

Emmanuel Macron is the first foreign head of state to set foot in this territory, four times the size of France and 80% covered in ice, since Donald Trump's threats of annexation.

The French president arrived in Nuuk around 11:20 a.m. local time, where dozens of Greenlanders were waiting for him as he stepped off the plane, waving a Greenlandic flag.

"I have come (...) to express the solidarity of France and the European Union for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this territory and to meet the challenges it faces, namely economic growth, the climate emergency, and education," said Emmanuel Macron, in the presence of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and the head of the Greenlandic government, Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

He expressed to reporters his disagreement with Donald Trump's desire to seize the autonomous territory, saying that "this is not what is done between allies."

The American president, citing reasons of "international security," aims to seize this island, the largest in the world, rich in rare metals, by any means, including military means if necessary.

Emmanuel Macron began by visiting a Danish frigate where he reviewed Danish troops before meeting with Danish and Greenlandic leaders.

The Danish Prime Minister welcomed this "concrete testimony to European unity."

This reception contrasts sharply with that given to US Vice President JD Vance on March 28. The latter was forced to confine himself to the US military base at Pituffik, on the northwest coast of Greenland, in the face of the outcry caused by his visit.

The population of 57,000, mostly Inuit, rejects any prospect of becoming American. Denmark also insists that Greenland "is not for sale."

During his visit, JD Vance accused Denmark of having "not done a good job for the people of Greenland" , particularly in economic matters, and of "not ensuring their security well".

The Pituffik base, which lies on the shortest missile trajectory between Russia and the United States, is a crucial link in American missile defense.

The Arctic is also becoming a security issue in the race for rare earths and new maritime routes made possible by global warming.

Faced with criticism from all sides, Denmark has announced that it will devote two billion euros to strengthening security in the Arctic.

NATO, for its part, will install an Air Operations Command and Control Centre (CAOC) in Norway, above the Arctic Circle, as Russia seeks to strengthen its military power in the region.

A few days before the presidential visit, two French naval vessels sailed north along Greenland to familiarize themselves with operations in the Arctic.

Weather permitting, Emmanuel Macron will see for himself the growing impact of global warming on a glacier on Mount Nunatarsuaq, about thirty kilometers from Nuuk.

Ice melted 17 times faster than the historical average between May 15 and 21 in Greenland, the result of a record heatwave.

France intends to "reinvest massively in knowledge of these ecosystems," in the tradition of explorer Paul-Emile Victor, who carried out multiple expeditions to the island, the Elysée Palace emphasizes.

Greenlandic authorities recently classified its shelter, the "French Polar Expeditions Base Camp," built in 1950 in Quervain Bay (north), as a historic building.

Unlike Denmark, Greenland is not part of the European Union but is included on the list of overseas territories associated with the EU.

"This will be an opportunity to discuss the best possible architecture, the best possible location, or the best possible cooperation plan between the European Union and Greenland," the Elysée noted.