France has begun consultations with its European partners to prepare a joint response in case the United States moves forward with threats to take control of Greenland, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Wednesday. The issue is set to be discussed later in the day during talks with the foreign ministers of Germany and Poland.
Speaking to France Inter radio, Barrot stressed the need for a coordinated European approach. “We want to take action, but we want to do so together with our European partners,” he said, underlining that France does not want to act alone on such a sensitive geopolitical matter.
Concerns have intensified across Europe after US President Donald Trump renewed his long-standing ambition to acquire Greenland, a Danish territory with strategic importance in the Arctic. Trump has argued that Greenland is vital for US military interests and has criticised Denmark for failing to adequately protect the island.
European leaders, along with Canada, have publicly backed Greenland in recent days, reiterating that the territory belongs to its people. Any attempt by the US to seize Greenland from Denmark, a NATO ally, would risk sending shockwaves through the alliance and further strain transatlantic relations.
The White House confirmed on Tuesday that Trump has been discussing various options to acquire Greenland, including the potential use of military force, reviving an idea he first floated in 2019. However, Barrot said he had received reassurances from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who ruled out the possibility of a military invasion of the island.
Still, recent US military action in Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of its leader, has heightened European anxieties about whether similar tactics could be applied elsewhere. Greenland has repeatedly stated that it does not wish to become part of the United States.
Greenland, the world’s largest island, has a population of just around 57,000 people. While it is not a NATO member itself, it is covered by Denmark’s membership in the alliance. Its strategic location between Europe and North America has made it central to US missile defence planning for decades, and its rich mineral resources are increasingly important amid global competition to reduce dependence on China.