France’s foreign minister visits Greenland in solidarity tour
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French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot visited Greenland, amid renewed takeover talk by US President Donald Trump, highlighting EU support for Greenland’s sovereignty.
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France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Damascus on January 3, 2025. (Omar Haj Kadour, AFP)
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in Greenland on Saturday, August 30, for a two-day visit, expressing his country’s solidarity with Denmark and the Greenlandic people.
The trip comes amid renewed speculation over a potential Greenland takeover after US President Donald Trump repeated claims that Washington should secure the Arctic island.
According to the French Foreign Ministry, the visit aims to “demonstrate France’s solidarity with Denmark, Greenland, and the Greenlandic people in the face of current challenges.” Barrot also inspected the French naval vessel BSAM Garonne in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital.
“These regions are certainly remote, but they are now affected by a form of conflict, a new form of aggression, which is why France, a major maritime power, is present there today,” Barrot said.
Read more: 85% of Greenlanders do not want to join US: New poll
Donald Trump renews Greenland takeover rhetoric
Trump has repeatedly argued that the United States needs Greenland for strategic and security purposes, citing its resource-rich position in the Arctic. Since his return to the White House in January, he has refused to rule out the use of force to secure control of the island.
In June, French President Emmanuel Macron also visited Greenland, emphasizing European solidarity and criticizing Trump’s threats to annex the territory.
Tensions escalated further this week when Danish public television reported that three US officials close to Trump had visited Greenland to seek allies for anti-Denmark influence campaigns. In response, Denmark summoned the US charge d’affaires.
Both Denmark and Greenland have reiterated that the island is not for sale and that Greenlanders alone will decide their future.
Jean-Noel Barrot meets Greenlandic leaders
Barrot is scheduled to meet Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt on Sunday before holding a press conference. His visit underscores France’s role as a European maritime power seeking to counterbalance U.S. influence in the Arctic.
A recent poll showed that most of Greenland’s 57,000 residents support independence from Denmark but strongly oppose becoming part of the United States. The growing debate around sovereignty and self-determination places Greenland at the center of global geopolitical competition.
