Macron visits Greenland to show European support for strategic Arctic island
Mr Macron reiterated his criticism of Mr Trump's intention to take control of the territory.
'I don't think that's something to be done between allies,' he said as he was greeted at the Nuuk airport by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
'It's important to show that Denmark and Europe are committed to this territory, which has very high strategic stakes and whose territorial integrity must be respected,' Mr Macron said.
He was making a stop on his way to a summit of the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations in Canada that will also be attended by Mr Trump.
Mr Macron, who is visiting Greenland for the first time, said: 'It means a lot to me … to convey a message of friendship and solidarity from France and the European Union to help this territory face the different challenges: economic development, education, as well as the consequences of climate change.'
In a speech last week at the UN Ocean Conference, Mr Macron also mentioned Greenland and the deep seas, saying they are not 'up for grabs' in remarks that appeared directed largely at Mr Trump.
Mr Macron, in recent months, has sought to reinvigorate France's role as the diplomatic and economic heavyweight of the 27-nation European Union.
The French president has positioned himself as a leader in Europe amid Mr Trump's threats to pull support from Ukraine as it fights against Russia's invasion.
Mr Macron hosted a summit in Paris with other European heads of state to discuss Kyiv, as well as security issues on the continent.
Sunday's visit will also be the occasion to discuss how to enhance relations between the EU and Greenland further when it comes to economic development, low-carbon energy transition and critical minerals.
The leaders will also have exchanges on efforts to curb global warming, according to Mr Macron's office.
Later Sunday, Mr Macron, Mr Frederiksen and Mr Nielsen held a meeting on a Danish helicopter carrier, showing France's concerns over security issues in the region.
Last week, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to acknowledge that the Pentagon has developed plans to take over Greenland and Panama by force if necessary, but refused to answer repeated questions during a hotly combative congressional hearing on Thursday about his use of Signal chats to discuss military operations.
Mr Hegseth's comments were the latest controversial remarks made by a member of the Trump administration about the Arctic island.
The president himself has said he won't rule out military force to take over Greenland, which he considers vital to American security in the high north.
The Wall Street Journal last month reported that several high-ranking officials under the US director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, had directed intelligence agency heads to learn more about Greenland's independence movement and sentiment about US resource extraction there.
Mr Nielsen said that US statements about the island have been disrespectful and that Greenland 'will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Europe should be standing up to Trump and Putin – instead it is mirroring them
Donald Trump's 'America First' policies are undermining decades of transatlantic cooperation just as Putin's Russia destabilises Europe with direct military aggression. But these twin shocks have unintentionally accomplished something the EU institutions never could. They have made European integration feel not just important, but existential – a matter of democratic survival – for ordinary citizens. From Helsinki to Lisbon, people are suddenly experiencing the same existential unease. Trade wars, defence threats and military aggression don't respect borders. More and more Europeans now recognise that their small, individual nations cannot withstand simultaneous pressure from both Washington and Moscow. They find themselves caught between economic coercion and military intimidation. Recent Eurobarometer data confirm the shift: 74% of Europeans now view EU membership as a positive thing – the highest level of support ever recorded. This is a historic opportunity. And yet, EU and national leaders remain paralysed – unable, or unwilling, to convert this public support and shared urgency into political momentum for reducing Europe's dependence on US military guarantees and economic shelter. This is the real tragedy: Europe's governments no longer practise the very ideals they preach. Though the EU still speaks the language of multilateralism and climate leadership, its policy direction and that of most of its member states increasingly mirror Trump's. On migration, the EU's new pact on migration and asylum reframes asylum as a security risk, echoing Trump's immigration crackdown. On climate, Ursula von der Leyen's European Commission has quietly dismantled key green deal initiatives and delayed critical legislation, in a deregulatory shift reminiscent of Trump's EPA rollbacks. Civil society is also under mounting pressure. Just as Trump has targeted non-profits and dissenters, the conservative European People's party (EPP) – von der Leyen's political 'family' – has launched an unprecedented assault on NGOs, threatening their funding and legitimacy. Even fundamental rights are at risk. The EU's response to Hungary's ban on Pride marches and expansion of surveillance powers has been tepid at best – tacitly tolerating democratic backsliding within its own ranks. But perhaps the most dangerous convergence lies in how power is exercised. Trump governs by executive fiat, sidelining Congress with executive orders. Today's commission is drifting in a similar direction at the demand of a majority of its member states. It centralises power, pushing through complex 'omnibus' packages and bypassing the European parliament most recently in its proposal to rearm the EU. What we are witnessing is not just a rupture in the transatlantic alliance but something more insidious. There are signs of an ideological convergence between Trump's America and today's European political centre, where parties are increasingly stealing ideas from the far-right – as in Germany – or governing with those parties, directly or indirectly. That is not only the reality in many EU countries but in the EU system itself under von der Leyen. Despite pledges in her first term to stick to the centre of politics, the commission increasingly relies on the votes of a rightwing majority in the European parliament, formed by conservative and far-right groupings of all stripes. These include the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), which used to be considered mainstream conservative but which now brings together Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party with more extreme far-right parties such as France's Reconquête and the Sweden Democrats. There is also the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group, co-led by Marine Le Pen and Viktor Orbán, and the even more extreme Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN), dominated by Germany's Alternative für Deutschland. The EPP has traditionally allied with socialist and liberal MEPs who as a bloc helped elect von der Leyen last year. But the EPP has recently voted with parties to the right of it, notably to delay a new deforestation law. The same happened on budgetary matters, the recognition of Edmundo González as Venezuela's president, and more recently in blocking an EU ethics body. There is also a growing presidentialisation of the commission. During the Covid pandemic, von der Leyen personally negotiated vaccine deals by text message – shielding those discussions from public and parliamentary scrutiny. The risk is that tolerance of such a shift towards personalised, opaque governance makes it easier to pass to the 'Trumpification' stage – where politicians increasingly borrow from the authoritarian playbook, preferring executive fiat over parliamentary democracy. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion This creeping phenomenon weakens Europe's ability to respond to the very threats that should be pushing it closer together. Just when European citizens are most willing to support joint action – on Ukraine, Gaza, big tech, or defence – their leaders are failing to respond. What's missing is the political courage to articulate a compelling alternative to far-right messaging – one that makes an affirmative case for EU-wide action on the issues that matter most to Europeans: common security, managed migration and shared prosperity. This means presenting European integration not as a threat to national identity, but as the means to protect and strengthen it. When European nations pool their defence capabilities, they don't surrender sovereignty – they multiply their capacity to defend their communities. When they coordinate migration policies, they don't open floodgates – they create orderly, humane systems that serve both newcomers and existing communities. When they harmonise economic policies, they don't level down – they lift up regions and workers who have been left behind. This vision appeals to the same desire for security and belonging that populists exploit, but offers real solutions instead of scapegoats. This failure to articulate such a vision has real costs. Every month of delay in building European defence capabilities is another month of dependence on an unreliable US. Every compromise with authoritarians – whether in Budapest or Jerusalem – erodes the democratic credibility that makes European leadership possible. Trump and Putin have inadvertently given Europe a shared sense of purpose and a need for urgent action. The question is not whether Europeans are ready to respond – the polls show they are. The question is whether Europe's leaders will sleepwalk into irrelevance, or worse. Alberto Alemanno is the Jean Monnet professor of EU law at HEC Paris and the founder of The Good Lobby
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The astonishing percentage of Trump's presidency he's spent playing golf... and how much it cost taxpayers
Since Donald Trump 's second term in the Oval Office began in January, he has spent a quarter of those days at a golf course. Trump, an avid golfer, was widely criticized for spending too much time on the links and not using that time to rest or run the United States during his first term as President. That trend has continued during the Republican's current stay in the White House with 37 golfing days out of less than 150 in office. Each golf trip costs American taxpayers $1.4million, with his expensive habit already putting United States citizens on the hook for $51.8million this year. That's one heck of a bill every four days. Trump has consistently played golf throughout his second term with Sunday marking exactly 25 percent, with the longest he has stayed away from the links being 11 days, from April 21 through May 1. That streak is in jeopardy of being broken, as Trump has only played golf twice in the month of June, with him staying away until this coming Friday setting a new record. Trump's streak is only likely to be broken, due to the President staying away from the links this weekend to attend his military parade. Trump did not waste much time after moving back to Washington DC to hit the course, doing so on the sixth and seventh full days of his second term. The president's busiest month of golf was in March, where he only missed one weekend day on the links and took nine total trips to a golf course. Trump has used the golf course as the backdrop to hold important talks about policy, especially when it comes to sports. The Commander in Chief golfed with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan to talk about a merger with LIV Golf and make any synergy between the companies peaceful. Trump also hosted Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua for a round of golf to discuss a recent judgment on money being spent on college athletes. The enormous cost of Trump's sporting habits is sure to enrage his critics, especially as protests over his immigration policies are ongoing in Los Angeles. Trump himself has not shied away from the golf course as it has been a major part of his bond with his eldest grandchild, Kai Trump, who is committed to play college golf at Miami. Kai Trump is also one of the highest-earning female athletes in terms of name, image, and likeness deals, per On3, without even taking a swing for the Hurricanes. Trump's favorite current golfer is likely Bryson DeChambeau, who joined him on stage during his victory speech after his November election win against Kamala Harris. The current stretch without golf for Trump also comes during arguably his most chaotic time during his second term in the White House thus far. Protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdowns have been rife across Los Angeles over that last week. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who visited Donald Trump in the White House recently as World Series champions, have not commented about the scenes. 'Honestly, I don't know enough, to be quite honest with you,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Friday. 'I know that when you're having to bring people in and deport people, all the unrest, it's certainly unsettling for everyone. But I haven't dug enough and can't speak intelligently on it.' Dodgers player Kike Hernandez addressed the situation on Instagram on Saturday, saying: 'I may not be Born & Raised, but this city adopted me as one of their own. 'I am saddened and infuriated by what's happening in our country and our city. Los Angeles and Dodger fans have welcomed me, supported me and shown me nothing but kindness and love.' Hernandez, who was born in Puerto Rico, added: 'This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights. #CityOfImmigrants.'
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
G7 needs to raise pressure on Russia, von der Leyen says
KANANASKIS, Alberta, June 15 (Reuters) - More pressure must be exerted on Russia to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine urging the G7 nations to ramp up sanctions to achieve that goal, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday. Leaders of the world's largest industrial nations are meeting in Canada's Rockies with European countries seeking to keep the war in Ukraine firmly on the mind of U.S. President Donald Trump despite fighting breaking out between Israel and Iran in the Middle East. With diplomacy at a standstill, the European Union is set to adopt a new sanctions package on Russia, but have so far failed to convince Trump - who has been reluctant to weigh on Russian President Vladimir Putin - to impose new U.S sanctions. "We must put more pressure on Russia to secure a real ceasefire, to bring Russia to the negotiating table and to end this war, sanctions are critical to that end," von der Leyen told a news conference before Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States begin talks on Monday. "Last week, we put forward a proposal for an 18 sanctions package. I will invite all G7 partners to join us in this endeavour." Global attention has turned to the Middle East, where strikes by Israel on Iran have raised the risks of an escalation into a broader regional conflict. The subsequent oil price spike has added to concerns over the global economy. Von der Leyen said that in talks with Trump on Saturday the two had agreed that like-minded countries should safeguard market stability, notably in the energy markets. "We will also stay very vigilant (on) what the implications for the international energy markets are concerned," she said. Regarding trade negotiations with the Trump administration, she said she preferred a negotiated solution ahead of a July 9 deadline, but that the bloc was preparing contingencies in the event no agreement was reached. Von der Leyen also spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier on Sunday. She reiterated Israel's right to defend itself, but stressed that a diplomatic solution was the best option in the long-term to address Iran's nuclear programme. "Iran is the principal source of regional instability, and we've always been very clear, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon," she said. "The recent events have underlined the increasing interlinks between the conflicts in Europe on one hand and the Middle East on the other hand. The same type of Iranian designed and made drones and ballistic missiles are indiscriminately hitting cities in Ukraine and in Israel."
