Macron responds to US claims over Greenland with NATO exercise participation

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will join NATO’s joint military exercises in Greenland at the request of Denmark, with the first French units already en route to the area. 

Macron stated on X that the operation has been designated “Arctic Endurance,” noting that French troops are already on their way to the exercise site, per Caliber.Az.

À la demande du Danemark, j’ai décidé que la France participera aux exercices conjoints organisés par le Danemark au Groenland, l’Opération Endurance Arctique.

De premiers éléments militaires français sont d'ores et déjà en chemin. D'autres suivront.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 14, 2026

His announcement comes after a stark warning he issued earlier, in which he cautioned that any attempt by the United States to annexe Greenland would trigger “unprecedented chain reactions.” Macron stressed that he takes seriously the recent comments made by American officials regarding the island. Any move to undermine the independence of a European country, he said, would carry negative consequences.

The situation escalated following remarks by US President Donald Trump on January 5, when he declared that the United States intends to seize Greenland to safeguard its national security. He subsequently reinforced this position, insisting that Washington would acquire the island “one way or another.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded by warning that an American takeover of Greenland could mark the end of NATO. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also rejected the notion outright, emphasising that the island is not for sale and that its population does not wish to become Americans.

Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has in recent years become a central arena of geopolitical competition due to its strategic location, natural resources, and military importance. Positioned between North America and Europe and lying along emerging Arctic sea routes, the island’s relevance has grown as melting ice opens new passages. Its substantial deposits of rare earth elements, critical minerals, and potential energy resources have intensified interest among major powers.

The United States has maintained a significant strategic presence on the island for decades, most prominently through Thule Air Base, a key site for missile warning, space surveillance, and broader Arctic defence. Washington views Greenland as vital to securing the North Atlantic and countering the expanding activities of Russia and China in the region.

Russia’s accelerated militarisation of the Arctic and China’s efforts to expand its footprint—Beijing has declared itself a “near-Arctic state” and pursued investment projects linked to Greenland’s resources and infrastructure—have sharpened concerns in both Copenhagen and Washington. These developments position Greenland at the heart of the intensifying competition over Arctic routes, resources, and the evolving security environment.

By Tamilla Hasanova