French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Greenland on June 15, becoming the first foreign head of state to visit the Arctic territory since President Trump launched a campaign to bring it under U.S. control, in a move widely seen as a defiant gesture of European independence.

Macron Counters Trump’s Annexation Vision

Trump earlier this year said Greenland could become part of the U.S. “without military force,” though he did not “take anything off the table.” Macron’s visit follows growing tensions between Washington and Europe over Trump’s expansionist rhetoric, including comments about making Canada the 51st state.

The Élysée confirmed that Macron will meet Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, with a focus on “security in the North Atlantic and the Arctic.”

European Sovereignty and Mineral Security

Greenland, a Danish territory with vast reserves of rare earth minerals, has become a strategic focal point. Macron’s visit is expected to emphasize climate policy, energy transition, and critical mineral security. A Danish study found 31 of the EU’s 34 critical minerals — including lithium and titanium — are present on the island.

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot previously floated the idea of sending troops to Greenland for defense, though Denmark declined.

Political Symbolism in a Shifting Arctic

The visit also aims to reinforce Macron’s longstanding call for “European strategic autonomy,” in response to Trump’s criticism of the EU and embrace of far-right parties. The trip is expected to resonate with European audiences as a rebuke of American unilateralism.

Macron’s Greenland stop comes just before the G7 summit in Canada — another of Trump’s joking targets for U.S. expansion.

Greenland’s Resistance to U.S. Control

Although Trump’s ambitions found some limited support among Greenlanders favoring closer U.S. ties, a March 2025 election saw victory for a party skeptical of American influence and aligned with Denmark. A recent poll showed 85% of Greenlanders oppose joining the United States, though many support future independence.