🇬🇱Macron in Greenland: 'Europe Will Not Let the Arctic Be Bought or Taken'
In a landmark visit to Nuuk, the French President pledges solidarity with Greenland and Denmark, defends Arctic sovereignty, and calls for climate action and strategic autonomy in the face of pressure
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Note: to see the initial speech in English, please download the readout provided by the Elysée
So, once again, Emmanuel Macron has given a press conference where he is setting out his stall as one of the global leaders defending democracy, and in particular, defending the sovereignty of a European state that is being threatened by Donald Trump’s America,
After several requests, I have translated the press conference that he gave for your reading pleasure, so please enjoy!
The Press Conference
Thank you, Prime Minister. Prime Minister, dear Mette. Prime Minister, ladies, and gentlemen. Allow me first of all to thank the Greenlandic authorities for their warm welcome. Prime Minister, thank you for organising this visit a few weeks after the visit of the King and Queen of Denmark to Paris, which we remember fondly. My delegation and I are touched by the beauty of this land and the warmth of your welcome. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Qujanaq!
The friendly relations between Greenland and France go back a long way, nurtured by our scientists, explorers, and fascination with your culture. As early as 1926, Jean-Baptiste Charcot reached the east coast of Greenland and paved the way for scientific missions led by Paul-Émile Victor from 1934 onwards, followed by the work of Jean Malaurie in the 1950s.
These scientists helped to raise awareness of the Greenlandic people, their land, their skills, their traditions, and Inuit culture among the wider public. Greenland has been placed back at the heart of geopolitical issues in the current context, and this peaceful and scientific vocation of the Arctic is now under threat.
The autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, due to its strategic position within the Arctic zone and its natural resources, has become a coveted space and the object of predatory ambitions. In coming to us, at your invitation, I want first and foremost convey a message of European solidarity and France's support for Denmark, Greenland and the Greenlandic people; a message of respect for your sovereignty and respect for your choices, choices of security, economic and social development, and sustainable management of natural resources; a message of support for your territorial integrity and the inviolability of your borders, which are non-negotiable.
Together with its European Union partners, France will continue to uphold its principles in accordance with the United Nations Charter. Allow me to say that, by being here at the invitation of your authorities, we have the opportunity to send a clear message of solidarity from Europe and France to Denmark, Greenland, and the Greenlandic people. A message of respect for your sovereignty, your choices, your choices regarding security, economic and social development, and the sustainable management of your natural resources, a message of support for your territorial integrity and the inviolability of your borders.
In short, in France, within the European Union, everyone believes that Greenland should neither be sold nor taken. We had extremely fruitful discussions extremely fruitful discussions with the two Prime Ministers on security issues in the Arctic, of course, the security and posture of Russia and China, which represent major challenges, the growing cooperation between them, in this region and elsewhere, and the fact that we clearly want to be at your side to respond to them. And France is willing to strengthen its cooperation with this Arctic ally, particularly within the framework of the Arctic Council and in the format of the eight Nordic and Baltic countries, the NB8. And NATO is clearly a framework within which coordination and interoperability are organised.
My message is that we are available for joint exercises to improve security. These operations not only strengthen our capabilities, but also economic cooperation, and enable us to do more in the areas of education and university cooperation, focusing on concrete projects in the economic and energy fields. I have reminded your authorities that France is available to work more closely with you on security, the economy and education, and to help develop concrete projects on the ground, whether in hydroelectric power or other areas.
I also informed the Prime Minister and the First Minister of our proposal to open a consulate general here in Nuuk. France is willing to do much more. That is why we have decided to open a new consulate general here in Nuuk, to be closer to you and to work alongside you. A few minutes ago, we clearly observed together the direct impact of climate change. And we are willing to do more together to face these challenges. The northern sea route must be preserved. The region must be protected from overexploitation and conflict.
We were in Nice a few days ago for the United Nations Conference on the Oceans, and together we launched the Decade of Cryosphere Sciences to strengthen our scientific efforts for glaciers and the poles and better respond to climate change. Some ten years after the Paris Agreement, we can clearly see here how important it is to continue our efforts and do much more.
Your research strategy paves the way for new cooperation. And we, Europeans and French, will strengthen our scientific cooperation with the Arctic and climate change in the region and are ready to strengthen this cooperation. France is ready to strengthen its scientific and academic cooperation, particularly with regard to the study of the long-term impact of global warming in the Arctic, as well as our cultural cooperation and within the framework of the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences.
I also told the Prime Minister and the First Minister that we were ready to do more in this area, particularly with your university. Finally, the European Union has also had a long-standing presence in Greenland. Europe is ready to support Greenland's economic and social development, whether in the areas of carbon-free energy, infrastructure, education, sustainable fishing, or critical raw materials.
This is the purpose of the strategic partnership signed in 2023 between the European Union and Greenland, which should enable the development of sustainable value chains in the strategic raw materials sector. We now wish to accelerate the implementation of this project.
The European Union stands alongside Greenland and is willing to accelerate and achieve concrete results in the field of energy, low-carbon energy, and also contributes to education, sustainable fishing, and the exploitation of critical raw materials. We must now accelerate the implementation of the strategic partnership signed in 2023 and contribute to the economic development of Greenland.
The situation in Greenland is clearly a wake-up call for the entire European Union. And let me say this: you are not alone. And when a strategic message is addressed to you, know that it is clearly perceived by Europeans as an attack on Europeans. This flag here is a common flag.
We know our values, we know the choices we have made for a long time. All of this is essential for the European peoples, the French people. We wish to say and repeat that we are by your side today and for tomorrow.
Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, thank you for your welcome. Thank you for honouring me with your invitation to be here with you in this magnificent country. I am very touched and very happy to be here with you today and to be able to tell you that together we will do much more. Believe me.
Thank you so much. Long live Greenland! Long live Denmark! Long live the friendship between Denmark and France, and long live Europe! Thank you.
Q&A
Journalist
How will your visit to Greenland affect your discussions with President Trump at the G7?
Emmanuel MACRON
I have informed him of this visit. And the message is clear: Europeans are ready to respond to the challenges of climate change, economic development, and strategic challenges. But it is also a message that we are willing to face up to our responsibilities in a respectful and cooperative manner.
So, I will see him tomorrow and I will tell him that we can act together if we are respectful and ready to cooperate and do as we have done for years, responding together to challenges. I think that is the only way forward. I will make sure, and I will share my enthusiasm about Greenland. I have seen it myself. We have had very clear discussions about the challenges, and I will try to engage him again. I am optimistic because we clearly need to build a better future, not through confrontation and provocation, but through cooperation.
Journalist
Mr President, we were just talking about the G7 summit, which is due to begin in a few hours, in the midst of war and conflict between Israel and Iran. What do you think the G7 countries can do? Donald Trump has said he is open to mediation by President Putin. What do you think about that?
Emmanuel MACRON
I believe that the G7 should first and foremost be an opportunity to discuss current imbalances. That is its objective, its initial and historic role, whether they be economic or commercial, and to address major geo-economic challenges such as artificial intelligence. Next, we must discuss the two major conflicts, the Middle East and Ukraine. And for me, the G7 must aim to reconverge. And so, for Ukraine, to achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible that will allow us to build a robust and lasting peace.
And so, in my view, the question is whether President Trump is willing to impose much stronger sanctions on Russia if it refuses to respond to the proposal he made several months ago and, to which, President Zelensky responded to back in March. And so, this is one of the points of discussion that we will have a few days before the NATO summit. And for me, this is the space in which we Europeans must re-engage with the Americans and our other allies, Canada and Japan, whose great consistency and solidarity on the Ukrainian conflict I would also like to highlight here.
On the Near and Middle East, I believe we all have a united position. No one wants to see Iran acquire nuclear weapons, but everyone wants discussion and negotiation to resume. And here too, the United States of America has a real ability to bring everyone back to the table, given that, along with the Europeans, they are key players in any nuclear agreement, and above all, that Israel's dependence on American weapons and ammunition gives them negotiating power. I do not believe that Russia, which is currently engaged in a high-intensity conflict and has decided not to respect the UN Charter for several years now, can be a mediator in any way.
I think it is our collective responsibility to try to re-engage as quickly as possible and therefore, as a first step, to avoid any escalation and to bring all the protagonists back to the negotiating table.
Journalist
Mr President, the Pentagon is setting up plans to take Greenland. What do you think about that?
Emmanuel MACRON
Well, personally, I don't know what that means or how it could be done. You can't occupy the territory of an ally. My perception, which seems to be widely confirmed, is that there is unity here, and you are united and hostile to it. No one has asked for occupation or for a special operation. And as for me, I would be very cautious about special operations. So, I think that if there is a desire to respond to the challenges currently facing the Arctic region, that is clearly a vision we can share. But the method is not the right one. The method must be one of exchange with a sovereign country, sovereign over its territory.
So, we need to engage in dialogue with the Kingdom of Denmark, the Greenlandic authorities, and work very closely with the other countries that regularly participate in operations in this region, in order to clearly protect these territories and respond to potential challenges. But I do not believe for a moment that we can respond to strategic threats by threatening an ally. That is inconsistent
Journalist
My question is for both President Macron and the Prime Minister of Denmark. You have seen the consequences of climate change with your own eyes. What are your thoughts on this? You also mentioned cooperation with the University of Greenland on climate change research issues. Are there any other concrete initiatives you are considering here in Greenland that would benefit the local population?
Emmanuel MACRON
Thank you. The feeling we had was one of both beauty and vulnerability. These landscapes, these magnificent places, are clearly threatened by climate change. And we can see the consequences before our very eyes, the consequences of past and sometimes present actions. And that is why I want to clearly strengthen our scientific cooperation.
Secondly, we also want to participate in very concrete economic projects, and we are fully available to develop projects in the field of hydroelectricity. This is a very positive project for creating value here and also for reducing the oil and gas component of your energy mix. EDF has the capacity to do this and could be a relevant partner for this hydroelectric project.
And thirdly, we are also willing to contribute to data collection and mapping for these mining projects, which are essential for developing renewable energies and promoting new forms of mobility, particularly graphite, titanium, etc. I understand that you need to collect more data, and this is an area in which we are willing to cooperate. In France, we have the BRGM, which is perfectly capable of contributing. Thirdly, we are also available to enable our companies to contribute to new economic opportunities for these territories.
Journalist
My question is for President Macron. On Friday, you emphasised Israel's right to defend itself, and you even said that France was ready to participate in the defence of Israel. Can you tell us whether, since Friday, France has helped Israel in any way, and whether it intends to do so in the coming days? And aren't you concerned that by endorsing these Israeli strikes in Iran, France is helping to encourage a scenario similar to what we saw in Gaza, i.e. a very deadly escalation?
Emmanuel MACRON
On Friday, I stated very clearly that France was concerned about nuclear proliferation, about the report issued by the IAEA and Iran's ongoing nuclear activities, and that this constituted a very clear, existential threat to Israel, given what the Iranian regime says every day, but a threat to the entire region and even to ourselves, because Iran's ballistic programme and nuclear programme are threats. That does not mean, however, that I endorsed anything, and I made it very clear that France did not participate in the operations carried out on 13 June and in the days that followed. And I reiterated that France's position was clear and consistent.
We believe that these issues, i.e. ballistic and nuclear proliferation, must be resolved at the negotiating table within an international framework and must then be followed up by the relevant international agencies. We therefore call for a return to talks between all parties involved as soon as possible, and that there be no escalation. We have not participated in any defensive operations since then, because we have not been asked to do so, and I was able to express myself and exchange views with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Pezeshkian, the Iranian president yesterday, and President Trump, and convey exactly the same messages, namely to call for the resumption of talks on the nuclear and ballistic issue as soon as possible, to demand the swiftest possible halt to all strikes, wherever they come from, and to resolve this collective security issue as quickly as possible.
Finally, on Friday and Saturday, I was able to reiterate to all of these protagonists how much what is happening today, which obviously concerns us all greatly in the region, must not make us forget the situation in Gaza. A ceasefire is imperative. The humanitarian situation is unacceptable. We must therefore secure a ceasefire, the release of all hostages and the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Journalist
Hello, Mr President. Do you really consider President Trump to be an ally at this point? And would France be willing to protect Greenland if the threats were no longer just words, but became concrete?
Emmanuel MACRON
I sincerely believe that the United States of America remains committed to NATO and remains a historic ally. We happen to have disagreements that we need to address, but the United States remains an ally. As Europeans, we need to increase our strategic autonomy. This does not mean that we should withdraw from existing partnerships, but we must reduce our dependence on this ally. Having an ally does not mean being dependent on that ally. Having an ally means being willing to work positively with them. And that is why it will take a decade, not just a year. But we need to engage and accelerate concrete efforts in all areas to develop our strategic autonomy.
And let me be clear, Greenland is clearly part of that. When we look at the potential in terms of rare earths and minerals, Europeans would be foolish not to protect this land for Greenland, for the Kingdom of Denmark, but also for Europeans, because here lies part of the resources for our autonomy, autonomy today and tomorrow. So, even though I hate to get caught up in crazy scenarios, the world is already crazy enough for all of us, and my imagination is sufficiently occupied by everyday life. But what we need to do in practical terms is to develop these joint exercises that we are conducting with all the Nordic and Baltic states, with Canada, and even with the United States, joint cooperation operations to improve cooperation in the region, in Greenland, but not only there, in the entire Arctic region, because I think it is our common good. and that is my answer to your question.
We want to engage, do more ourselves, offer others, including the United States, invite them to do more with us and not be confrontational. But I'm not going to start exploring ‘what if’ scenarios because the United States is an ally, a friend, and I can't believe they would do anything aggressive against another ally.
Moderator
Thank you, Mr President. Thank you all for being here today.
Emmanuel MACRON
Thank you, Prime Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister.
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"Ice Macron" :p
This was a message aimed at trump and his team. Do not bring this up at the G7.