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Greenland tensions "strategic wake-up call" for Europe: Macron

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2026-01-29 01:37:15

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) greets Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (R) and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Jan. 28, 2026. (Photo by Henri Szwarc/Xinhua)

Macron said France is deeply committed to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity with all its partners in the European Union, adding that France will continue to defend these principles in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

PARIS, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that escalating tensions with the United States over Greenland constitute a strategic wake-up call for Europe as a whole, while reiterating France's solidarity with Denmark and Greenland.

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2026. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

"Recent events confirm that the situation in Greenland is a strategic wake-up call for all of Europe: on asserting our European sovereignty, on our contribution to Arctic security, on combating foreign interference and disinformation, on the fight against climate change, and on a privileged partnership for sustainable development and reducing strategic dependencies," Macron said at a joint press conference with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland in Paris.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen (L, on the snow) is seen during a demonstration against U.S. actions and remarks suggesting control over Greenland in Nuuk, capital of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, Jan. 17, 2026. (Photo by Anders Kongshaug/Xinhua)

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called for NATO to play a much more significant role in the region and in the High North, including in and around Greenland.

Greenland, the world's largest island, is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with Copenhagen retaining control over defense and foreign policy. Since returning to office in 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to "obtain" Greenland, a move that has been repeatedly rejected by Europe.■