Paris eyes NATO exercise in Greenland as Arctic rivalries intensify

France has proposed holding a NATO military exercise in Greenland and signaled its readiness to take part, according to a statement from President Emmanuel Macron’s office on January 21, quoted by foreign media.

The French initiative comes amid rising transatlantic tensions as US President Donald Trump travels to Davos, Switzerland, where he is expected to use the World Economic Forum to intensify his long-standing push to acquire Greenland.

Trump’s renewed campaign, which has drawn strong objections from European leaders, is being described by diplomats as one of the most serious strains in relations between the United States and Europe in decades.

Speaking in Davos on January 20, Macron delivered a sharp rebuke of Washington’s rhetoric, saying Europe would not give in to pressure or intimidation. His comments followed Trump’s threats to impose heavy tariffs on European countries if they refuse to support US ambitions over Greenland.

Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, occupies a pivotal position in the Arctic, where melting ice is opening new shipping routes and access to natural resources. The island is strategically significant for NATO and the United States because of its location between North America and Europe and its role in missile warning and Arctic security, while Russia and China have also stepped up their interest in the region.

NATO officials have warned that Trump’s approach to Greenland risks destabilising the alliance at a time of heightened global competition. Trump has also publicly linked his focus on Greenland to broader grievances, including his frustration at not having received a Nobel Peace Prize.

By Tamilla Hasanova