French President Emmanuel Macron announced the deployment of additional French military units to Greenland. According to him, the first troops have already arrived on the island, and their presence will soon be reinforced by land, air, and naval forces.
This is reported by Kyiv24
French Troops Join Danish Exercises
Macron emphasized that European countries bear a “special responsibility” in Greenland, as this autonomy is part of Denmark, belongs to the European Union, and is among the territories of NATO allies. France has decided to join the exercises titled “Arctic Resilience,” organized by Denmark, acting sovereignly and independently.
“France has decided to join the exercises planned and initiated by Denmark in a sovereign and independent manner – within the framework of ‘Arctic Resilience.’ The first group of French troops is already on site and will be reinforced in the coming days by land, air, and naval assets,” said the French president.
Other allies, such as Germany, Norway, and Sweden, have also sent their military contingents to Greenland, demonstrating support for Copenhagen and the local authorities in Nuuk.
Escalating International Interest in Greenland
Earlier that same day, Emmanuel Macron held an emergency meeting of the defense cabinet in Paris to discuss statements by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the intention to take control of Greenland, as well as events related to protests in Iran.
Denmark has announced plans to increase its military presence in and around Greenland, involving additional aircraft, ships, and soldiers in cooperation with NATO partners. This response is linked to the heightened rhetoric from the U.S. administration, which views Greenland as a strategically important and resource-rich territory. Donald Trump has previously stated that the United States should own the island to prevent it from falling under the control of Russia or China. On January 10, he expressed Washington’s willingness to “do something” regarding Greenland even without the consent of its inhabitants, with possible scenarios from the White House including both purchase and the use of U.S. armed forces.
The French president also stressed the need to strengthen France’s and Europe’s defense capabilities, reminding military personnel and defense sector representatives that “history does not forgive either unpreparedness or weakness.”