Greenland’s prime minister has warned there are inviolable limits in talks with the United States even as he and Denmark’s leader pressed for strengthened security in the Arctic in response to a more assertive Russia.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to seek backing after U.S. President Donald Trump sought to acquire the Arctic island, which has been Danish territory for centuries. The discussions focused on defence and the geopolitical consequences of heightened interest in the region.
President Macron said France aligned with the view that defence in the Arctic requires reinforcement. "Given Russia’s stance in the Far North, China’s economic presence, and the strategic consequences of this rapprochement, we agree on the need to strengthen our defence posture in the Arctic," he said, adding that France supported increased NATO vigilance and activity there. "We are ready to join."
Greenland under pressure but sets limits
The three leaders said talks involving Greenland, Denmark and the United States are planned to try to find a resolution to the diplomatic crisis. Nielsen, speaking alongside Frederiksen at Sciences Po University, said Greenland faces significant strain but would not accept certain concessions.
"We are under pressure, serious pressure. We are trying to push back from the outside. We are trying to handle our people who are afraid, scared,"
Nielsen indicated that while he hoped an agreement could be reached, there remained "red lines that could not be crossed," without providing further detail on what those red lines were. He also said plainly: "We need to do more surveillance and security in our region because of the way Russia acts now."
European unity and the transatlantic relationship
The episode over Greenland's status has shaken relations across the Atlantic and prompted European leaders to consider ways to reduce dependence on the United States. That dynamic persisted even after President Trump last week withdrew threats of additional tariffs and said he would not seize Greenland by force.
Frederiksen said the recent developments demonstrated a degree of cohesion among European states, noting they had been able to unite in countering the U.S. demands, particularly the threat of new tariffs on some European countries. "I think there are some lessons learned in the last couple of weeks for Europe," she said at a joint press conference with Macron and Nielsen.
Frederiksen warned that the international order had shifted and questioned what future shifts in Washington might mean. She emphasised the importance of Europe strengthening its own capabilities while also urging continued transatlantic cooperation in the face of Russia's behaviour. "If we allow Russia to win in Ukraine, they will continue," she said. "The best way forward for the United States, Europe is to stick together."
Security backdrop in the Arctic
Speakers in Paris underscored the wider security context for concerns about Greenland and the Arctic. The region comprises a large share of landmass under Russian control - half of the Arctic's land area is Russian territory - and Moscow has taken steps since 2005 to reopen and modernise tens of Soviet-era military bases on its Arctic mainland and on islands off its northern coast.
Those developments were referenced as part of the rationale for heightened surveillance and defence measures. At the same time, Russian officials have rejected the framing of Moscow and Beijing as threats to Greenland, calling such suggestions a myth intended to stoke hysteria.
The diplomatic dispute between Denmark and the United States, two founding NATO members, had raised concerns about the alliance's cohesion in recent weeks. Officials said the confrontation has now been transferred to a diplomatic channel, rather than remaining an immediate bilateral crisis.
For now, leaders in Paris signalled agreement on the need to sharpen defence postures and NATO activity in the Arctic, while Greenland insisted on protected negotiating boundaries and called for more robust surveillance of the region in light of current geopolitical tensions.